


Lights, Camera, Sheith!

by ArtForRogue, chidoriXblossom



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Actors, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom Keith (Voltron), Bottom Shiro (Voltron), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Keith (Voltron) is a Virgin, Love Confession, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mutual Pining, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Somnophilia, Top Keith (Voltron), Top Shiro (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:34:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 83,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23220286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtForRogue/pseuds/ArtForRogue, https://archiveofourown.org/users/chidoriXblossom/pseuds/chidoriXblossom
Summary: When Shiro and Keith are cast as the main characters in the new television blockbuster Voltron: Legendary Defender, they are forced to work together and keep things professional after a falling out after their last shared project.Too bad the romantic nature of their characters dredge up old, lingering feelings....Or; If VLD was a regular TV show with the paladins as actors.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 60





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, please bear with me if this reads awkwardly as it started as an rp between myself (Keith) and ChidoriXBlossom (Shiro) that I only recently got around to editing. Hope you enjoy all the same!

As far as humble beginnings went, Keith was a textbook case. His roles as an adult were exclusive to voice acting -- low paying and very little recognition. Then he landed a role in Avatar: the Last Airbender and won hearts across the globe. It wasn't long before Keith's meager, paycheck to paycheck life exploded in a rush of offers and contracts, which he all pushed aside for Voltron: Legendary Defender. 

Because VLD didn't want a voice actor -- they wanted the whole deal. 

It was a little nerve-wracking to jump into a 2-year project, but Keith wanted this with every cosmic fibre of his being. He wanted to live his dream and VLD was the first big step in a long, long time. 

He knew a few of the other actors and actresses on set but none of them were close enough to greet Keith with real warmth on the first day. Everyone was still awkward, clutching their first season of scripts, and eyeing the free food lined up along the cheap plastic tables. Keith himself stole a bagel while they waited for the last of the crew to show up, reading over his lines with 'Ryou' and pausing with consideration at the deeply romantic undertones. 

Keith was gay, so that was more than fine with him but -- who was he supposed to be throwing these lines out to anyway? With the bagel clenched between his teeth, Keith flipped all the way to the back to see the cast roles. His own name was settled on the line just under Takashi Shirogane.

Takashi Shirogane? 

When the doors opened and the man himself strolled in, Keith remembered why that name sounded so familiar. Keith had worked with him on Avatar, of all places, until the end of the job had pulled them apart because Keith had been too shy to ask for his personal number. 

But that was 5 years ago. Keith wasn't some 18 year old loser anymore. He snapped his script shut and finished his bagel just in time for them all to be called around the table where they would read their lines. 

Keith took his seat next to Shiro and offered him a smile, trying his best to look friendly. "Hey. Good to see you again, Shiro."

And it wasn't his place to preen, but Keith knew he looked good. His dark, galactic-black hair was just a touch too long, curling at the nape of his neck in a way that suggested it would only continue to get curlier with time. His eyes weren't scrunched with confusion anymore -- they were calm, collected, a soulful purple that had his fans raving. 

And the writers for VLD had been very specific that Keith bulked up for this role. He was nowhere near Shiro's size still, but the curves of him were obvious against his tight black t-shirt. "Been well?"

There was recognition in Shiro’s dark eyes the moment they met Keith’s and the man smiled pleasantly. It may have been several years since they had seen each other last, but Shiro remembered Keith well from their joint time working on Avatar. They had built up a good rapport over the course of their contracts there, and when the series had concluded and they’d gone their separate ways Shiro had been a bit disappointed that their friendship had not continued. 

Shiro had faced difficult times since then, though it was not immediately noticeable. Approximately one year after finishing work on Avatar the man had been involved in a serious car accident which had led to the loss of his right arm. Multiple surgeries and an extensive rehabilitation period had followed. He had regained his strength, taken time to heal, and received a top of the line prosthetic arm connected to his nerves in his stump.

He had not taken on any form of acting roles since the accident, choosing instead to devote his time to raising funding for the hospital that had treated him, and work alongside charities that focussed on helping amputees and those with physical disabilities. It was through this work that the creators of Voltron had heard about Shiro, and got in touch with him.

A role within the production had been offered to him when the script was still in the early stages of being written, and while Shiro was convinced that a lot of their reasoning was to gain acknowledgement and praise for hiring a disabled man, the chance for him to spread further awareness through the role had been too great to pass up without considerable thought.

So he’d done a lot of that -- spoken with others to hear their opinions, and deliberated over the pros and cons of taking on the job. He was not in it for fame or the money, but he had always enjoyed the work involved in acting, so it was a unique and exciting opportunity to do something like it again while also continuing his new goals with his campaign for the disabled.

It was his hope that the executive producers would stay true to the verbal contract they had made with him, and maybe in going through with the role Shiro would find further healing for himself. He was at peak physical fitness, and more than ready for the challenge ahead, just a little nervous about returning to film work. 

Seeing Keith, a familiar face in the mass of unknowns, was a big help. “Keith, it’s great to see you,” he returned, smiling at the younger man. “I’m doing well. How have you been? I was pretty excited when I heard we’d be working together again.”

That sent a rush of guilt through Keith -- maybe Shiro was just being polite, but the genuine smile had Keith guessing that what he said was true in which case, Keith had unknowingly been the one to cut ties thinking his admiration and friendliness was one-sided. "Yeah. Me too." Keith finally managed, hoping his smile hadn't tilted or given his guilt away. 

"You've..." Keith didn't want to let his eyes wander on the off chance Shiro thought he was looking at his wounds, and not his bulked out frame. "I've heard a bit about your work, since we last talked. Your charity is doing some really amazing things." It wasn't hard to keep Shiro's warm gaze, Keith quick to return the gentle smile that had always been and always will be just for him. 

"What made you take the role? Or were you one of the lucky ones that the execs reached out to?" Keith shifted the conversation to their work, his hand smoothing along the front page of the bulky script. "I knew you were a sci-fi nerd, but this wasn't a role I thought you would want."

Shiro shrugged in a move that was nothing but humble. “They did get in touch with me early on but I took some time to make the decision,” he admitted, “I had a meeting with the script writers to discuss the character and got a sneak peak at the first draft of the pilot episode, then I spent some time at home to think it all over and let them know at roughly the same time everyone else was being cast.”

He rubbed at the back of his neck with his right hand, the majority of his prosthetic hidden by the sleeve of his jacket. “It was nice being their first choice for the character, but I will admit I’m just a little bit terrified. Been out the game a while so I’m nervous about messing up.” His eyes glanced around the room as others took their seats. “It looks like we have a nice group here though, so I’m sure it’ll be fun.”

His eyes returned to Keith, and it were as though no time had passed since they’d last spoken. Shiro was so at ease with him. “What about you? What attracted you to the role of Akira?”

"What didn't attract me to the role of Akira?" Keith joked, his voice low and breathy as he looked over the script again. "I won't -- I was kind of desperate to get an acting gig. I wanted something other than voice acting and the fact that they wanted me for this is still -- I can't really wrap my head around it." 

He tapped his fingers against the thick paper and wished his brain would let him think over his response instead of the choppy, rushed words that tumbled from his lips. "Akira reminds me of my younger self -- brash, no filter, with a hairline trigger. You missed out on young, emo Keith but maybe this is your chance to live through it. Sorry in advance." 

"And I don't know if -- they told me they were excited to have a LGBTQ member on the team. I'm hoping that means something for Akira's character, more than just getting the token points for my hire. And everyone else on the team that falls under that." Keith shrugged his shoulders, the soft fabric of his t-shirt rolling with the motion. "Our characters seem to have ... Something there. I don't know what the network will let us get away with."

Shiro nodded and flicked through his own script, fully aware of the particular scenes and segments of dialog Keith was referring to. “Yeah, that caught my eye too. I’m not going to get my hopes up too much, but it would be exciting if there was some representation.” 

Shiro wasn’t one to broadcast his personal life to the media -- give them an inch and they would take it a mile -- but he didn’t go out of his way to hide things either. He’d come out as openly gay several years ago after a long internal struggle with himself, but as he had never made a big deal about it this particular detail about him had been missed by many.

“I wonder if we’ll be going out on location first,” he mused as he scanned through a scene where Shiro’s character was broken out of some kind of quarantine facility by the other cast members. “There’s going to be a lot of green screen in the studio, but it’ll be nice to have some real backdrops and locations to go to as well.”

"Did they mark off the location scenes? They told me back in June, so I've since forgotten." Keith frowned at his own copy when there was no indication if the scene would be green screen or not. He hoped the scene with the hoverbike was real -- it'd be dangerous, but look great for the camera when Keith pulled it off. 

There were more questions to ask, but the director and writers were starting to file in so all the rest of the cast quieted down as they walked through introductions. When that was over, they started with the preliminary readings -- the writers making notes of clunky dialogue or weird flow. Keith was surprised by the initial focus on Lance's character, only because he knew later on it'd be more about Ryou and Akira than anyone else. 

Keith smiled when his first line with Shiro came. He turned to the man beside him and said, in the softest voice possible, "It's good to have you back."

“It’s good to be back.” Shiro’s line came so naturally from him he almost felt as though they were having a genuine conversation, not reading lines. Of course Keith didn’t have any reason to say such a thing in real life to Shiro, but the older man was genuinely happy to once again be working with the interesting enigma that was Keith Kogane.

The moment didn’t last long. A few more lines of dialogue were exchanged between their characters and then the script moved on, picking up the pace as one of the writers read the scene directions and the director took a few notes.

It was good to hear the lines being read out by the individual actors, and Shiro tried to imagine what the final product would look like with the scattered bits of information he’d been given up until now. So far the results were promising, a good balance of humour and more serious undertones to cater to a wide range of audiences. If done correctly he believed the show had a chance to become as big as Avatar, possibly even more successful since it was live action and the production team had a significant budget to play with.

Once the first read through was completed there was a discussion around the table and then everyone broke for lunch. Lance came over to speak to Shiro and shake his hand - apparently he had a disabled nephew who had benefited from some of the work Shiro had done and Lance considered the man something of his idol, which was both humbling and a rather amusing coincidence considering his character’s views on Ryou in the script.

The two men spoke for a few minutes and Shiro looked forward to getting to know Lance and the others better, but there was one person more than anyone else that he hoped to spend time with. He turned and saw Keith making his way towards the door, grabbed his phone and wallet from his jacket slung over the back of his chair, and hurried after the younger man.

“Keith,” he called after him, managing to catch up with a few quick strides of his long legs. “Are you going to the cafeteria?” Shiro didn’t want to assume. 

Maybe Keith had made other plans for the lunch hour they’d been given before they had to get back for more script reviews. But if he didn’t have anything planned then it would be nice to sit together and have a catch up. Shiro was eager to rekindle that friendship they’d enjoyed those years ago on Avatar.

It was hard to say no to a smiling face like Shiro's, and Keith did miss him terribly, so he slowed his pace to let Shiro catch up and met him with a smile. "Hey. I was just going to go smoke." But now that he thought about it ...

"It'd actually be a favor to me if you kept me from it." Keith shrugged his shoulders awkwardly and redirected them back to the cafeteria. "I've been trying to quit." Somehow he always found a pack of cigarettes in his bag though instead of the gum he was supposed to be chewing. 

They walked down the hallway in easy quiet, until Keith tried once more to break through it. "Good read through today." It was awkward. He hated it. Maybe he really should have run off to go smoke, fuck.

“Yeah, everyone seems really nice and I think we all did well considering it was the first one.” Shiro was bright and cheerful, showing no signs of any awkwardness. “I can’t wait to start the physical training and choreography.”

Shiro was built for physical training with his wide shoulders, narrow waist and bulging biceps. Working out had been a big part of recovering from his accident, and now he loved it. He was all about maintaining personal fitness and eating a balanced diet. Hence, the idea of smoking made his stomach churn.

“I can certainly offer encouragement if you want to quit smoking,” Shiro offered, only because Keith had mentioned it. “All the health reasons and expense of it aside, you’ll feel a lot better if you manage to quit after trying for a while.” 

"Best encouragement you could give is throwing out my fucking cigs, honestly. I'd look a lot harder for my gum if I didn't have a fallback." Keith pulled out his wallet to pay and gave the tittering cashier his best scowl by accident. She wilted but only until she saw Shiro was next in line. 

Keith saved them both a seat by the windows, his bottle cracked open by the time Shiro took his own spot. "Enough about me though. Tell me about what you've been up to."

Shiro sat quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts. There was nothing he wanted to keep from Keith, per say, but sometimes there was a benefit to thinking over how to describe his experience. “After my accident I spent a lot of time rehabilitating. You never realise how much you take for granted until you suddenly only have one arm.” He shrugged and turned his prosthetic over on the tabletop, flexing the fingers.

“I was fortunate enough to hear about this new project looking for recent amputees for prosthetic limb trials. Went through that and was fully outfitted after 18 months. I’d started my charity work by then, so I just kept going with that and did my second lot of rehab at the same time.”

It had been a long and difficult journey, but the outcome was worth every moment of hardship. Shiro was the healthiest he had ever been, and had turned one huge bad experience in his life into many positives.

“This is actually my first big job since Avatar. It’s nice to know I can still find work even looking like this.” He gestured vaguely to his arm.

_ Must be hard getting a job when you're buff, handsome, and equipped with a prosthetic cool enough to fit right into a sci-fi fantasy _ Keith thought as he gave a small nod. But he knew not everyone saw Shiro for the success he was -- that people might see him as less just for what he had gone through. By ignoring all he had done after. Keith frowned into his next bite of his sandwich. 

"I'm glad you're coming back into the game, then. I'm sure your fans missed you." Keith would have a better idea of those things, but he didn't bother with any social media except what his agent needed him to approve every so often. Shiro fans were going to be so excited to see him back on the field. "Besides, I think you're more prepared for this role than I am." 

Keith set down his sandwich and rolled up his t-shirt sleeve before smoothing his hand over the natural curve of muscle. "It took me a whole summer just to get to this point. My body isn't made for the muscles the writers want me to have."

The poor dumb fool didn't even realize what a treat he looked like, unintentionally flexing for Shiro.

Shiro’s eyes roamed over the muscle Keith openly displayed and he bit his tongue to distract himself. The fluttering in his stomach that had started five years ago made its return, and Shiro wasn’t entirely sure if that was a good thing.

He’d been attracted to Keith from day one, and over the course of their time together working on Avatar he’d hoped their friendship might bloom into something else. Something more. But it hadn’t, and Shiro had been forced to pick up his bruised heart and move on.

He’d tried. He really had. And for a while things had improved. He’d met a guy who seemed great, moved in with him and enjoyed the thrills and excitement of a new relationship. But it had been short lived and Shiro had been alone ever since.

Now he was getting back into film work and his path had once again crossed with Keith’s, and that attraction from years ago came rushing back. And Keith was even hotter now than he had been back then - Shiro would have to be careful about how he handled the situation or he’d risk causing a very awkward atmosphere. 

“You look fine, don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise,” Shiro choked out and quickly took a sip from his water bottle to cover it up.

"Yeah? Can I get you to say that in front of the writers?" Keith snorted and picked up his sandwich again, none the wiser of Shiro's struggle. At least it wasn't one-sided, even if neither of them knew that. Keith chanced one last look up-down Shiro before smiling to himself. 

"Well when they start us off with our physical training I bet they'll push us together since we have more experience than the rest of the cast. Except maybe Allura." Allura was a woman he didn't want to ever piss off, for multiple reasons. "She could probably take both of us down with ease. Can't imagine they need to do much with her." 

Keith finished his sandwich and sucked a stray line of mayo from his thumb before crumpling up the wrapper. Chips were next. Or they were, but a flurry of texts suddenly came in and made Keith pick up his old flip phone. Seriously, what year was this? 2001? 

"Sorry... Looks like Kosmo got into the trash again. Mom's had it up to here with him." Though he tried to hold back his sigh, it was no use. Keith glanced up at Shiro and realized something before handing Shiro his ancient fossil of a phone. "Hey, can I have your number?"

That request made Shiro pause, and his eyes lit up. “Of course,” he replied, and carefully took the phone. He said nothing about the age of it and quickly entered his number, saved it and passed it back to Keith.

“So I’m guessing Kosmo is your dog?” he asked, wondering if this was another subject they could talk about with ease. Shiro loved dogs, always had. He’d had one of his own until a few years ago, but she’d been old and he couldn’t find it within himself to get another after she’d passed away.

He had almost ended up getting a puppy, but the timing had been off as he’d been offered the job with Voltron shortly after considering the idea, and that had been the end of that. It wouldn’t have been fair to take on the responsibility of a puppy when he knew filming would likely take him away from home for extended periods of time. He also didn’t have any family to look after a dog for him while he was away. He was envious of Keith for that.

"Yeah. Rescued him two years ago and we've been inseparable since." Keith grinned once Shiro handed him back his phone, and was quick to show him a picture of the massive, fluffy black dog. There were a few pictures of Kosmo just on the couch, running through the field, with the last one being Keith holding him in his arms, face near eclipsed by fur. 

"What about your old gal?" Keith asked as he closed his phone. He looked up to see Shiro's strained expression and instantly knew. "Oh. Oh, Shiro, I'm sorry." Keith had only got to meet her once when Shiro brought her to set, but the way he had gushed about her all the time let Keith know just how much he loved her. "I'll bring Kosmo to set sometime. I bet he'd love you." 

And everyone deserved some doggy loving. Shiro especially.

Shiro’s smile turned bright again. “And I’d love that,” he replied. “It’s not the same, being without a dog. But Yuki had a great life - she made it to 16.” He pulled out his own phone from his pocket, an iphone that was a couple of years old now, and showed Keith the picture on his home screen. An elderly white retriever was looking directly at the camera, sitting in the sun and smiling as she panted. Clearly still very much loved and missed.

“First picture I took on this and one of the last of her,” Shiro commented, then unlocked the phone and slid it over to Keith so he could put his own number in. There was something exciting about finally exchanging numbers, after all these years. The Voltron project was certainly getting off to a promising start for Shiro.

“Of course, if you do bring Kosmo you realize we’ll get next to no work done. I’ll be too busy gushing over him and probably forget all my lines.”

"I'm counting on it." Keith answered with a grin as he typed in his own contact information. Once he was done, he paused on the home screen to take a better look at Yuki. He was glad she had lived such a long life but -- it would have been nice to see her once more. "You've been working hard with your charity and work and who knows what else. You can take a day to play with Kosmo anytime." 

Keith handed Shiro's phone back over. "We still have an old house phone too so I added it in there in case my cellphone ever does die. I'm pretty sure that thing is going to outlast me, but you never know." With the exchange done, Keith finished the rest of his chips and went to chug the rest of his water. 

Shiro made short work of finishing off his own lunch, the chance of maybe getting to meet Keith’s dog putting a smile on his face. Once he was done eating he held his hand out over the table. “So, you still wanting my help with quitting?” he asked, going back to their previous conversation about Keith’s smoking.

There was no judgement in Shiro’s tone, just a genuine wish to help since Keith had asked for help in the first place. 

Keith looked to Shiro's outstretched hand and grumbled before digging into his back pocket and grabbing his pack of cigarettes. He placed them gently in the palm of Shiro's hand and pressed down, hesitant to let go. Then he took a deep breath and came to terms with it. "Thanks Shiro. It's hard to keep with it when I dont have my mom here breathing down my neck." 

Keith leaned back and tried not to hyper focus on the pack. "I really need to find some gum if this is gonna be a thing." It was nearing their hour, though, so both men got up and left to go back to the production room for more readings. Keith settled for chewing on his bottom lip through the whole thing, not wanting to mess up his lines with a wad of gum in his mouth. 

The lines went about the same the second run through, only this time they all fumbled a little with the sci fi mumbo jumbo. Keith snorted to himself a few times until Pidge kicked him under the table. Another three hours passed like that -- leaving Keith ragged and bone tired. Most everyone looked that way, actually. 

Keith stretched as he stood once they called an end to the day, groaning with satisfaction once he popped his back just right. "Thought they were gonna keep us here forever." He popped in a piece of gum before grabbing his things. "Which trailer they got you in, Shiro? Have you seen it yet?"

“Not yet, but I was planning to have a look before heading off today. I’m in trailer 1.” Shiro smiled. “I can’t wait to move in and get settled.” Shiro had been a little concerned about the accommodation plans at first until he’d heard that trailers would be provided for all the cast who wanted to use them. There was still the option of hotels, but Shiro wanted a space that he could genuinely make his own for the duration of the project.

He didn’t mind the smaller size, so long as it was functional and relatively comfortable. Also the lease on his apartment was just about to end, and he was looking forward to leaving it behind and making a fresh start.

“Want to come have a look with me?” he asked Keith. “They’re ready for us to pick up the keys.”

"Sure." Keith had a sinking feeling that Shiro had managed to snag the largest trailer of the whole crew -- which was probably what he deserved, but no one wanted to get stuck in the runt trailer. He was probably the lowest paid actor, role aside. It would stand, then, that Keith would have the smallest trailer. 

The receptionist just smiled at them as he handed over their keys, though, without a trace of pity directed at Keith. So maybe not. 

The trailers were set up in neat rows, with Shiro's as the trailblazer. Keith briefly wondered if it would be heaven or hell being settled right beside Shiro for the better part of their contract, only to gape once Shiro unlocked the door.

The inside of the trailer was elegant, spacious and modern. Plenty of windows allowed natural light to come in, the furnishings were done to a high quality and each specific area was logically organised. Kitchen area complete with a proper oven and a large fridge freezer, a dining area with a decent sized table, the lounge with a very comfortable looking sofa and a large flat screen TV mounted on the wall, then the bathroom and bedroom towards the front.

The trailer was not a flimsy little thing - it was luxury and Shiro was gobsmacked. He knew the VLD production had a large budget, but this was far beyond anything he had anticipated. He actually double checked he had been given the correct keys.

“Wow,” he said, and ventured further inside, running a hand over the smooth kitchen worktop. No plastic and fake wood here, it was all real and top quality. He was almost afraid to touch anything else in case he broke it. He glanced out the large side window towards the neighbouring trailer. Keith’s trailer. It looked to be about the same size. “I’m feeling very spoiled. This is nicer than my flat.”

"No kidding." Keith stared wide eyed around the trailer, flabbergasted just like Shiro was. This single trailer was better than his last 3 apartments alone. "Whoa. Is that flowing water?" 

Keith hurried over to the kitchen and stared at the backsplash -- which was literally flowing water. "What the fuck. This trailer is so..." What was the word? Extra? "Your fridge is already stocked!" He said once he pulled open the fridge doors. "Is this your favorite brand of beer?" 

Shiro’s lack of a response didn't stop Keith from grabbing two bottles.

Shiro took one of the bottles from Keith and removed the cap with his right hand. Shiro wasn’t a huge drinker - one of his healthier lifestyle choices - but he didn’t mind one or two every now and then, and especially in good company. 

He sat down on the plush sofa and had a sip, enjoying how easily the cool liquid slid down his throat. “This is gonna take some getting used to. I’m waiting for someone to come in and yell at us for being here.”

"Yeah, I kind of feel the same way." Keith took a bit longer to sit down, glancing about the room as he stood in front of Shiro and took a few drinks of his own bottle. With each twist his shirt rode up just a wee bit more, exposing the v of his hips as they disappeared into the secrecy of his jeans. 

Keith had no right to look this good after a full day of work. 

Eventually he motioned to Shiro. "C'mon, let's go see my place for comparison. Might as well rip off the bandaid now." There wasn't much arguing with that -- they walked over to Keith's trailer and near died from the jarring difference. 

One overhead light, a small fridge with bumpy plastic countertops and that weird gray carpet that was outlawed in 1943. Keith turned on the meager overhead light and sighed. "Seriously?"

Shiro was absolutely disgusted. The difference was ludicrously unjustifiable, and frankly he saw it as an insult. He wasn’t about to let the production company place him on a pedestal and shower him with luxury while expecting Keith to live in a dump like this.

It was completely unacceptable and the fact that they’d already had a look at Shiro’s trailer now made him feel guilty when it wasn’t even his fault. If the production had the money to shell out on big fancy trailers then that budget should have been shared equally between the cast for their accommodation. All this risked doing was causing tension, and that would bring the whole project down.

He glanced at Keith and tried to keep a lid on his anger. “There must have been some kind of mistake. You should speak to them about it.”

"Nah, it's fine." Keith toed off his shoes and went to check his own fridge, which was also stocked with snacky foods but no alcohol. "Just means I get an excuse to visit you more, right?" His tone was light, teasing, so Keith faltered when he saw how mad Shiro looked. When was the last time he ever saw Shiro that riled up?

"I'm the first- time actor. They always get the short end of the stick. Earn your way up." Keith shrugged to seem fine with it but finally dug out his phone to call. He ushered Shiro inside while they waited, the two of them sitting at the small dining area. 

One short phone call later, Keith looked a little more relieved. "There was a mix up, was all. My trailer got delayed so they had to put me in here for just the month." Keith took another glance around and grumbled. "If there's no roaches, it'd actually be better than my last apartment."

Shiro noticeably relaxed. “It’s a pain that happened, but I feel better knowing this is only temporary.” His smile returned, warm and cheerful. “You’re welcome to come round and hang out in mine anytime. I’ll be grateful for the company.”

When Keith returned the smile with a small one of his own, Shiro felt himself momentarily frozen in place and had to forcibly look away before their locked gazes could turn awkward. He distracted himself by having another sip from his bottle while looking around the dodgy looking trailer. 

Keith had certainly done some growing up in the years since they’d last seen each other, and Shiro couldn’t deny how attractive the younger man was. He hadn’t missed the way Keith’s shirt rolled up to tease him with glimpses of soft skin and toned muscle, and the way his incredible eyes shone through the bangs of his thick hair was captivating.

Shiro was very envious of whoever was lucky enough to hold Keith’s affection, assuming there was someone. He’d be shocked if there wasn’t. A person like Keith surely didn’t stay single for long.

“Guessing you’ll be out of here every chance you get to visit friends and family,” Shiro said to keep the conversation going. “A lot of people don’t like living in trailers for long and can’t wait to get home, even just for a couple of days.”

"I'll go see my family when they give us a full weekend, sure. Wouldn't miss a full meal and kisses from Kosmo for anything. But the closest I have to friends are already here on set, so." Of course, Keith was referencing Shiro but he had come to know Hunk and Pidge as well and formed a tentative connection with them through other voice acting gigs. 

But still there seemed to be a question in Shiro's eyes, and Keith scoffed when he realized what the man was fishing for. "No cute boyfriend to go visit. You know I'm awkward with people -- how would I even ..." Keith turned his eyes down to his own bottle of beer and picked at the label, suddenly nervous. 

He hadn't talked to Shiro after Avatar ended, but he knew about what the other man had been up to. The failed relationship was roped off with red warning tape so Keith did his best to not ask about that. 

"You should come up with me, sometime. The drive isn't bad and you know my Mom would love to see you again." Keith finally gathered the courage to offer. "I know my family is ... A lot sometimes ... But you'd have me and Kosmo to protect you." The image made Keith snort as he took another drink, the bottle now sadly empty. "Just you know. Chew on it."

“Thanks, I’d like that.” Shiro’s smile was genuine, it was nice to be invited and he would certainly be taking Keith up on the offer if he could. He would have liked to return it, but he had neither a place to take Keith nor any family left to introduce him to. Another reason Shiro had become so heavily involved in his charity work - it helped fill the void and combat his loneliness.

He finished his beer and sighed. “I should probably get going,” he said reluctantly. “Still got a bit of packing up to do, and I’ll need to decide what I’m bringing with me now that I know the space I have available. Rest is going into storage until I get a new flat, whenever that’ll be.”

He was planning to move into his trailer in the next few days so that he could be fully organised and settled before they started shooting. All he had to worry about now was getting all of his stuff into storage before his current lease ran out.

"Sure. It was good catching up with you, Shiro. I'll probably just call it a night -- no point in really unpacking if they're just going to move me in a month." Keith walked Shiro to the door and leaned his hip against the perfect line of the doorway. Having Shiro on the step below reminded Keith of every high school romance movie he had ever been forced to watch. 

It tugged his lips into a smile before he knew it. "Night, Shiro." Keith said, in his soft voice that would always be only for Shiro. "...it's good to have you back." He didn't wait for Shiro to repeat his answering line though, just softly closed the door and left Shiro to spend the remainder of the evening as he pleased. 

Keith really did mean to go to bed -- but as soon as he got out of the shower and fell to bed, all he could think of was Shiro's radiant smile. With a silent hope that the trailers were far apart enough for sound to not carry, Keith slid his hand down to his briefs and gave into his desire.


	2. Chapter 2

There was a buzz of excitement around the studio on the first day of physical training, and the gym was set up for what looked to be a thorough workout for everyone. Shiro was speaking with their coach and stunt coordinator, David, when everyone else started to arrive. Lance caught Keith’s gaze lingering on Shiro in his workout gear and sidled over to him. There was a knowing smirk on his lips.

“Checking out our fearless leader, are we?” he asked, referring to Shiro’s character status within the show. “You look like you’re ready to sink your teeth into him.”

Shiro was a sight to behold in his tight shirt and long shorts that made up his training outfit, all rippling muscle sculpted to perfection beneath the material, and with the beautiful personality to match. Lance wasn’t all that surprised he’d found Keith practically drooling in the corner.

Shiro was a work of art, even with his prosthetic and scarring.

Keith would argue  _ especially _ with his prosthetic and scarring. 

He did glare at Lance though, embarrassed that he had been so easy to read. Anyone with two eyes and the appreciation of the male form should be drooling over Shiro, honestly. "Say it a little louder, Lance. I don't think the entire gym heard you." 

Keith was wearing his own drool-inducing outfit with a barely- there tank top and leggings that made his legs look even longer. His hair had been carelessly thrown into a bun, which was already starting to come undone. 

Luckily for Keith, Shiro remained completely oblivious to the conversation across the gym from him, but Lance ignored the warning tone and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Oh come on, you may as well have a big neon sign above your head. A blind man would be able to tell.”

He started doing some stretches beside Keith to get warmed up, and turned his attention back to Shiro who appeared to be finishing up his conversation with David. Lance was bi, and while he did tend to date girls more than men, he knew a tasty catch when he saw one.

Shiro had the physique of a greek God and a smile that could put the sun to shame. He knew Keith was gay, so it was hardly surprising that Shiro made his knees wobble and hairs stand on end whenever he looked his way.

It was just as Lance started doing really exaggerated toe-touches that Keith realized these actors saw in Shiro what he did -- a kind, unbelievably handsome man who deserved good loving. And none of them owed enough to Keith to hold back their own flirting. Keith finished his own arm stretches and did some jogging in place, looking mildly annoyed at himself for thinking he stood a chance anyway. 

But it was hard not to melt when that smile of pure joy turned on him, hard not to return his own pleased counterpart. Determined now to one-up Lance, Keith cupped his hands around his mouth and called, "Shiro! Come help me stretch!"

Lance smirked. “Big neon sign,” he repeated, then continued with his own stretching as Shiro approached them.

“Morning, guys,” he greeted, eyes bright and smile as charming as ever. Lance waved at him but chose to remain silent, so Shiro turned immediately to Keith. “How was your first night in your trailer? I was thinking about you.”

Lance barely suppressed a snort. “Oh really?”

Shiro almost pouted. “Not like that,” he muttered, and a faint dusting of pink spread across his cheeks. “I just mean that it was raining heavily last night and I was worried he might be cold or something.”

Lance looked back at Keith. “Oh yeah, your trailer has been delayed, hasn’t it. Damn, that must suck.” He smiled. “I’m moving into mine tonight. Don’t forget to come greet your new neighbour. I’m an amazing host.”

Hunk wandered over to join the conversation, seeing as how they hadn’t started training yet. “You’ll be too busy unpacking to entertain guests. I agreed to help, Lance, not do it for you.”

“Aww, I know that, Hunk. Just want everyone to know they’re always welcome to drop by and visit.”

Shiro smirked and raised an eyebrow. “That’s nice to know, but we’re going to be seeing each other virtually every day for the next two years. You’ll have to forgive me if I ever turn an invite down - I like my sleep.”

Hunk nodded. “Same. Lance is just overly excited.” He reached out and caught Lance’s arm. “Come on, you can help me stretch if Shiro is helping Keith. I don’t have a clue what I’m doing with this fitness training.”

“That’s what David is for,” Lance told him. “Shiro too. This guy is a black belt, you know.”

Hunk blinked and looked at the taller man. “Really?”

Shiro nodded. “Taekwondo. I dabbled in some other disciplines to prepare for this role too, since my character is supposed to be an expert fighter.”

Hunk was clearly impressed. “Wow. No wonder you’re ripped.”

And Shiro’s blush was back. It was almost funny how bashful he seemed to be.

Keith watched the back and forth between everyone with an amused grin. He was also grateful for the distraction that it was -- because Keith didn't have the heart to tell Shiro that the rain had leaked through his ceiling last night. 

A well placed bucket and heartfelt prayer got him through the night and had him waking to a soaked carpet. 

But he had actually called the staff with that problem so there should be a dry carpet tonight.  _ Should _ being the key word. "If you need help unpacking, I don't mind." Keith finally cut in, hoping to save Shiro from his faltering blush. "I already finished last night." 

It was good to make friends, Keith reminded himself. And he liked Hunk, so this might work in his favor. He gave the other man a slight smile. "Just remind me when we're done here and I'll come over."

Hunk grinned. “That’d be a great help. Thanks, man. You wouldn’t believe the amount of junk Lance has.”

“Hey, it’s all my worldly possessions. Good lucky charms, couple of ornaments, all my best outfits, my favourite potted plants--”

“And he’s probably got more hair and skin products than Allura,” Hunk stage whispered to Keith and Shiro.

“Nothing wrong with that, Hunk,” Lance insisted. “Men have to look after their skin too, despite what social conformity seems to dictate. Right, Shiro?”

The scarred man blinked. “Uh, I moisturize?”

Lance grinned triumphantly. “See, Shiro gets it.”

It was at that moment that David called the group together, so their little chat was brought to an end and their coach started putting them through their paces. A brisk warm up followed by some movement exercises which took them to midday and had everyone working together. It was a good way to further break the ice and get to know one another, and soon the banter was flowing.

Shiro powered through all of the workouts like a machine, proving that his body was down to more than just a good diet, and Lance caught Keith staring on multiple occasions. After a short water break they moved on to some beginner prop work, and that was when things got a bit more exciting.

The cast got their first look at the weapons their characters would be using in the production, lightweight prototypes the art department had whipped up for them to use, and David handed them out. Since Shiro’s character didn’t have a physical weapon in the script he took a moment to wander back over to Keith and check out his wooden sword while David discussed a large blaster prop with Hunk.

“This’ll be funny to look back on,” Shiro mused as he joined Keith. “We’ll all be experts soon enough but right now we look more like kids in a playground.” Some camera men were present and lingering around the edges of the gym to capture footage for the behind the scenes feature, and no doubt some blooper reels too. Lance had already had one spectacular fall that Hunk was really hoping would make it onto the reel.

Keith had been content to mess with his sword alone in his own little corner, but made a show of standing to attention when Shiro came over to talk. "Akira is supposed to be ambidextrous so they gave me a sword to practice with months ago." 

It had been a challenge with the role, but Keith had a good trainer and loved to push himself further. He threw the sword from hand to hand and grinned at Shiro. "People had always told me using my left hand was wrong -- never thought this was how I'd break out of it." He tapped the side of it against Shiro's stomach and grinned. 

"Your character just uses his arm, right? That's going to be rough on your body -- no wonder they wanted your experience." Keith frowned at the thought. It really wasn't fair to Shiro at all. "A black belt though ... Should we be calling you sensei?"

Shiro chuckled. “No, that’s really not necessary. It’s not that big a deal anyway.” And the blush was back, faint but definitely there. “I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of putting my body through something physical so hopefully I’ll be able to do the character some justice.”

The timing had been good when he’d been offered the role as he’d just started going back to regular training since his accident, so he’d already known that he was capable of taking on the part. With a good engineer to look over his arm periodically there were no major concerns on any sides about Shiro participating in the Voltron project, or about him doing a lot of his own stunts.

It was as he’d just said. He enjoyed putting his body through its paces. He was also no stranger to aching muscles and fatigue, so the demanding requirements of using his arm predominantly for any fight scenes didn’t worry him.

"I'm sure you will, Shiro." Keith encouraged gently, just as they were called together. With his mind filling rapidly with ways to challenge Shiro 'physically', Keith had a hard time paying attention to what their stunt coordinator was saying. But he recognized play time easily enough. 

Allura was first to demonstrate with her long, wooden staff, and what a sight she was. The poor nameless sod that had to hold his own against her took a step back for each blow to the padded armor, again and again as Allura whirled the staff with expert grace until David called for her to stop. Everyone gave her an impressed round of applause, and being humble, she just smiled and moved back into the waiting group. 

"Keith. Why don't you go next." David flipped through his list. Nerves fluttered in his stomach at the sudden call to arms, but he was ready. Keith nodded and moved to replace Allura. 

This stunt double going against him would be working for some of the important sword fights, Keith knew that much -- what was his name? Roy? -- because Keith couldn't make any ground on him.

He flipped the sword to his left hand mid battle and finally saw Roy struggle to keep up, landing hit after hit on the padded armor. But there were enough blows returned that Keith knew he'd have bruises -- that he could hear his fellow cast members gasp with worry. But Keith shook it off, kept pressing forward, sweat glistening on his skin, until finally one misplaced hit cut him off. 

He had been mid- turn for an especially flashy move when Roy whacked him in the head -- with no helmet, it landed Keith right onto the floor with stars in his eyes. David called for them to stop and Keith wasn't aware of much else. The medical team was called, maybe. 

By the time the ringing cleared from his ears, Keith was being handed some water from a concerned Roy. He laughed, told everyone he was fine, and got back up just to crumble. Okay, yeah, his head was pounding. 

"We need to take him to medical." David sighed, looking irritated with Roy. "Just so he can lay down and clear his head." 

"I’m fine." Keith grumbled. "It was just wood." 

He was being stubborn, he knew, but this was supposed to be his moment to brag not make a fool of himself. Shiro had seen that sad display. In the end, Keith won the right to sit on the sidelines and watch everyone else cycle through their props. But he was visibly mopey, with a big frown plastered on his face.

When Shiro’s turn came round David offered to be his opponent, probably the only one with enough skills to go up against him as a suitable training partner. They circled each other like some kind of violent dance, but Shiro always gave David warning before he tried any of his moves.

Lance was staring with his mouth hanging open, almost drooling like he had been over Allura when she’d taken the floor, and Shiro’s movements and capabilities took the attention away from Keith’s earlier accident. It was obvious the scarred man was holding back somewhat, but everyone enjoyed watching and when they finished there was another applause.

Now that he was done Shiro grabbed his water bottle and then went over to check on Keith as Hunk took the floor next. Shiro sat down and looked at his friend with a critical eye. “How’s your head?”

"Shaky. But I'm fine, Shiro." Keith took a drink from his own water bottle with a grimace, still reeling from the sight of Shiro mopping the floor with David's body. Damn, Shiro could use him like that any day... No, wait. Don't say that out loud. 

Keith cleared his throat and drank some more water just to make sure he didnt say anything stupid. 

Too bad his third attempt at water made him completely miss his mouth and instead dribble water everywhere, like he was a goddamn baby. "Shit." Keith grumbled, plucking at his now soaked tank top. It was a thin material already -- the wet fabric clung all the worse. "Fuck, okay, today isn't for me."

Shiro placed a hand gently on his shoulder, nothing but concern in his eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the medical center? I could take you and I think it would be a good idea to get checked out. You took a real blow and you might have a mild concussion.”

Head injuries were nothing to be sniffed at and Shiro knew that first hand. He’d had many accidents with training throughout the years that had left him either seeing stars or knocked unconscious. It had been painful to watch Keith hit the ground the way he did, even with the mats cushioning his fall somewhat, and he didn’t look much better now. Shiro was worried.

"I don't want to see a doctor." Keith shoved Shiro's hand off rough, the fear of an impending meeting on sterile white sheets in a cramped room making him act without thinking. He saw the hurt in Shiro's eyes and pulled away, unable to disclose the reason for his reaction. "Sorry. Just -- I'll be fine." It was too much to sit in the uncomfortable silence, so Keith got up from his seat and hurried off in the direction of his trailer. 

Hunk was done with his presentation, so the crew was given the okay for lunch. David crossed the room to greet Keith and frowned when he saw the actor was missing. "Did he go to the medic after all? We need him back in 45. Eh, I'll just send him a text. Good work out there, Shiro. I can tell you'll keep me on my toes this whole shoot." 

David headed back to the cafeteria with a small wave, phone out to presumably text Keith. He did come back after lunch was over, noticeably less moody, but he avoided Shiro's gaze as they went through the motions with their props. He only laughed when Pidge lamented over breaking her whip. 

When they finished for the day, Keith was bullied into taking a trip into town with the other Paladins to stock up on snacks and other goods. Keith meant to protest, since he still had a slight headache, but couldn’t resist the chance to get more nicotine gum. 

Somehow that led to him buying a cart full of Shiro’s favorite snacks. 

Keith moved his arms -- 3 bags on each arm -- and kicked his foot gently against Shiro's trailer door. "Open up. Delivery for Shirogane." 

When the door opened Shiro peered out and then blinked in surprise. Keith had been the last person he’d expected to turn up outside his trailer. “Oh, hi,” he greeted carefully, not sure about what kind of mood the younger man was in.

Shiro was wearing his jacket and had his keys in his hand, having just been on the point of heading out to collect some of his stuff from his flat. Unlike the others who were moving into their trailers in a single day, Shiro was spreading it out with bringing a bit at a time. He only had one more week to go on his lease, so he’d decided that taking stuff out a little and often would be more manageable.

“You just caught me,” he explained, and glanced down curiously at the bags Keith was carrying. He hadn’t asked for anything when the four of them had headed out into town, so he was a little confused.

"I know you didn't ask for anything--" Keith raised his gift-laden arms, "but we all agreed you could use some snacks too. I can just drop these off and get out of your hair." Not like he meant to bother Shiro, after all, though Keith wasn't looking forward to going back to his trailer. Or helping Lance unpack, for that matter. 

"Got you some protein stuff and cheese puffs, was all. No big deal." Keith promised when he saw Shiro's curious gaze. 

“Oh,” Shiro smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Thanks.” He patted at his pockets until he found his wallet, but sighed once he opened it up. “I don’t have any money to pay you back right now. I’ll grab some while I’m out though.”

He was on the point of saying that Keith wasn’t in his hair at all when he changed his mind. Shiro didn’t want to overstep any boundaries, and Keith had already said that bringing the snacks was no big deal. It was nice to know he’d been thought of, but Shiro could tell Keith was uncomfortable.

He took the bags with another quiet thanks and placed them in the trailer, then stepped out and locked it behind him. “I hope you guys have fun while you’re helping Lance unpack. I won’t keep you any longer.”

He started towards his pick up, his blue Ford Raptor dwarfing Pidge’s green Buggy, and made a point not to look back. Keith had been avoiding him all day and had shown no signs of wanting to resolve whatever the hell Shiro had supposedly done wrong, so Shiro wasn’t about to act like he was desperate. They were only colleagues after all. Nothing more.

No matter how much Shiro had hoped that could be different.

"Hey, Shiro?" Keith called out from the porch. When Shiro stopped, Keith walked closer, hands stuffed in his pockets and shoulders hunched like a kid in trouble. It was adorable, but why was Keith...? "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to lash out at you -- that's -- it's the last thing I want."

"Doctors just make me nervous since Dad died and I thought maybe you were going to force me to go." Keith admitted, soft and suddenly vulnerable. "I know you mean well. My brain just -- my therapist says I'm making good progress but it's still --" 

One look at Shiro's face and Keith ducked his own, blushing with embarrassment. "Just know I'm sorry. If it was weird."

Oh… so that was the reason. Shiro had suspected it might be something personal, but considering his own history where his ex had accused him of being naive and too forward, Shiro had quickly assumed that he had done something to offend Keith.

He didn’t like to hear that the other had been through something traumatic and was seeing a therapist, but it helped to know that Keith wasn’t actually mad at him. He relaxed and offered him a small smile, but kept his hand at his side rather than place it on Keith’s shoulder again. 

“Thanks for being honest with me. I thought I’d done something to offend you, but I’d never push you to do anything you weren’t comfortable with. I was just worried because you got hurt.”

"I appreciate that, I really do. You're a good person, Shiro. I'm glad we got this chance again." Keith met Shiro's gaze for a smile of his own before ducking away again, shy. "I just wanted to clear the air. Um, so let me know if you need anything. We'll be at Lance's for tonight with unpacking." 

Keith nodded to the back row of trailers and with one final smile, walked off. He felt better about telling Shiro why he had reacted the way he did, but he still wished he hadn't reacted in the first place. Something to work on. 

...

Working with the trio of friends to help unpack Lance's shit took longer than Keith thought -- they had plenty of breaks in between, sure, but he hadn't expected it to take all day. Pidge was showing Keith pictures of her and her girlfriend when he noticed the time on the phone. They all had to be up at 5 am and it was already teetering on 11 pm. Keith sighed at the sight. He hadn't heard from the maintenance crew at all today and briefly wondered what condition his trailer would be in once he returned. 

He pointed out the time to the group and they finished the last few boxes in record time. By the time they parted, Keith felt that he had made new friends, albeit his original goal was just Hunk. Pidge was cute and had a hellish amount of sass in her, so she was great in his books. Lance was less his usual crowd, but everyone wanted a hype man. 

Keith bid them goodnight and dragged himself back to his trailer. There was a little maintenance sign on the door when he approached, just the normal 'Maint. Dept.' in big red letters. Keith frowned at it and fished out his keys, only to find his trailer was exactly as he left it -- soaked down to the carpet. Fuck this. They had given him a voucher for a nearby hotel and a very apologetic note on the counter, but Keith couldn't help but still be mad. How was he supposed to find a car this late?

Keith threw together a quick overnight bag and left his trailer again, face tilted up to the stars as he wondered if the universe was personally trying to make him upset. Meeting Shiro again and not deserving him, then flopping at practice, the doctor thing, now this. It was really tempting to just sleep in the studio -- at least that would save him the commute. 

Idly, Keith wondered if Shiro was still awake. He pulled out his phone -- a blessed 26% battery remaining -- and asked if he was up. Then, after a moment's hesitation, asked if his offer was still available. Because Keith would even take a couch right now. 

He sent off the damning texts and leaned back to wait. 

There was a moment where Keith’s only company was the stars above and the faint sounds of traffic, before his phone pinged with a new message. Shiro.

The invite was still open.

Shiro was taking the last of a few boxes out of his pick-up when Keith appeared, and smiled at the slightly worn out look on the other’s face. “Wow, was Lance’s unpacking that bad?” He joked, and gestured for Keith to head on inside. “It’s a bit of a mess, but make yourself at home.”

A ‘bit of a mess’ was nothing compared to Lance’s pigsty of a trailer, though he had insisted he would soon have it all neatly todied away and organised. Shiro had been held up while he was out so he still had a few bits and pieces to do, but it wouldn’t take him too long.

“You can have the bed,” he offered Keith once he shut the door behind them. “The sheets are clean and I’m quite happy with the sofa. It won’t take me long to finish up here anyway.”

"Oh I can have the bed, huh?" Keith asked. He looked Shiro dead in the eye as he set his bag of stuff at the edge of the couch and plopped down, clearly staking out his claim on the plush cushions. "Nice try, Shirogane. Guests take the couch. Annoying ones at that." 

Though to be fair he had done his best to find other options. But a soggy carpet in a moldy-smelling trailer did not make for a happy Keith. He laid back and toed off his shoes, the boots hitting the floor in heavy clunks. 

"Need help unpacking? Another hour or two won't hurt me." Getting his hands on Shiro's personal effects might, though. 

Shiro smiled slightly with a gentle shake of his head, then set down the box he was carrying on the worktop and went to pull out some blankets and a pillow for Keith to use. He wouldn’t argue.

“Thanks, but I’m only planning on doing a little more tonight.” He found some bedding supplies and handed them over to Keith so he could arrange the couch to his liking. “Help yourself to anything you want out the fridge.”

He went back to his box and pulled out a couple of things that were wrapped carefully in kitchen towels to prevent them getting damaged. One was a framed photo of him and Yuki, and he disappeared through to his bedroom to place it on the nightstand. 

In truth Shiro would half liked to spend some time with Keith and have a chat with him, but it had been a long day for them both and he didn’t want to push his luck. They also had to be up early in the morning for more training and wardrobe checks - apparently the paladin armour was ready for them to try on for the first time.

Shiro was looking forward to that. He hoped it would give him an opportunity to mingle more with the rest of the cast, since he’d missed out on the shopping trip and Lance’s unofficial trailer warming party. In a way it was sort of appropriate, seeing as how Shiro’s character was the leader of the group and therefore a little more distanced from the rest of them.

It was early days though and he was sure he’d soon become firm friends with each of them, but for now he knew he ought to focus on what the director and production crew expected from him.

He felt a little silly though. Having Keith staying over in his trailer would normally have excited him considering his attraction towards the younger man, but even though Keith had apologised for their falling out earlier that day Shiro was still a little on edge. It had taken him so long to pick himself back up after all the shit he’d gone through in recent years, he was nervous about reaching out to another again.

Keith was so far out of his league anyway. 

Why build himself for a fall that would inevitably come?

Keith could practically hear Shiro over thinking things but ignored it for the time being to grab a beer and think over a battle plan. They had already gone through their fair share of emotions today so Keith didn't feel obligated to make things emotional again. He cracked open the beer and put himself back on the couch. 

Shiro shuffling around for another hour or so was kind of soothing, in a weird way -- though Keith normally hated noisy background sound when he was trying to relax. He had changed into his pjs -- a pair of shorts and an oversized t-shirt with ATLA's logo on it -- once the bathroom was free and flipping through his phone was quickly losing its charm. 

Keith looked up at the clock and decided, yeah, there was enough time to play some Skyrim. After setting up his Switch, Keith booted it up and started to play. The familiar sounds of Skyrim floated through the trailer, familiar to anyone who had ever even heard of the game. It was only about 10 minutes in that Keith realized he had an audience. 

"Hey." Keith glanced up and smirked when Shiro realized he was caught. "Wanna play? I have room for one more up here." Which was barely true; they'd absolutely be squished together. "I need help building this character." 

For a moment Shiro’s brain stalled. Then he tried to find a believable excuse to get out of Keith’s invite, but his brain still came up empty. Stupid brain. The invitation was so tempting, and Keith’s tone suggested he genuinely wanted Shiro to join him, instead of just offering in order to seem polite.

He edged closer, looking between the TV and the space Keith had indicated. “I, uh… Would you judge me if I told you I’ve never played Skyrim before?” he asked. “I’ve watched others but I’ve never actually had a shot myself.”

He moved slowly and eased himself down into the gap, muscles tense and eyes having no idea where to look. They settled on the TV and he admired the graphics of the game. “I’ll just watch for a bit. I’m done with everything for tonight anyway.”

"If you're sure." Keith moved enough that Shiro had space of his own to sit down, but move closer once he went back to the main menu. "If you've never played, let's start a new game. You can help me make someone new." Keith offered him a tentative smile before they both turned back to the TV. 

They went through the opening scene with no fanfare, but once they hit the character creator all hell broke loose. Keith was laughing so hard by the end of the process that he was worried he pulled a muscle -- and was happy to find Shiro in a similar state. They both agreed that they couldn't stand an ugly character though, so Keith ended up making a Skyrim Shiro. 

They played just an hour like that, talking excited about lore, dying multiple times, getting arrested for stealing chickens, and generally just having some good fun. But it was getting late, and Keith was starting to yawn more and more. He paused the game and glanced sleepily to Shiro. 

"We have an early morning. Should probably turn this off and go to bed." There was a lingering or in the air as Keith wiggled the controller in front of Shiro's waiting hands. "Or you can show me all you've learned. Just for, like, another hour. C'mon Shiro." 

There was no way Keith would beg 'please', but that knowing smirk was powerful all on it's own. 

Shiro caved almost instantly, failing miserably at trying to do the responsible thing and say no. He took the controller into his unpracticed hands and started running aimlessly through the countryside without a clue. When he suddenly got attacked by a bear he let out a sharp curse, almost jumped out his skin, and went into a mad frenzy of mashing the buttons until he figured out what worked.

He was hopeless, but it was fun and Keith’s presence beside him made it all the better.

The light atmosphere made Shiro feel like he could breathe again after an afternoon of heavy tension that had forced him to retreat back into himself and hide away from everyone else. He was actually glad that Keith’s crappy trailer had leaked and forced him out, because it was that which had led to the younger man seeking out help from Shiro of all people. Not the other actors whom he’d spent all day with. Shiro.

It was nice to feel  _ wanted _ .

Eventually Shiro’s left hand started to cramp a little, unaccustomed to using a controller, so he handed it back to Keith and let him close the game. They were both yawning their heads off now and Shiro really wanted to avoid sleeping in in the morning. Considering Keith was staying over it wouldn’t look good to anyone.

“Thanks for that,” he said, his smile finally reaching his eyes again. “I had no idea what I was doing but it was still fun. I can see the appeal of this game.”

"It was fun just to watch you play." Keith said, brutally honest as always. His own smile was soft, a touch too fond for something meant to stay between friends. But then his gaze was diverted when the TV turned off and plunged them into darkness. "Fuck." Keith laughed at the sudden lack of light. "Hold on, I'll get the lights." 

Once they were up and off the couch it wasn't much harder to wander into the bathroom and finish up there as well. "We should play again." Keith said before shoving his toothbrush in his mouth, looking shy. 

It was ... Cute. 

Once he was done in the bathroom, Keith launched himself over the couch back and onto the fluffy cushions, letting out a content groan. He was tired as hell. "Night, Shiro." Came his muddled voice. 

Then he was out like a light, snoring soft by the time Shiro finished his own cleanup in the bathroom. 

The older man pulled out an extra blanket and left it within easy reach for Keith in case he needed it during the night, before turning off the lights and retiring to his own bed.

Feeling a lot better now that things were back to normal between them again - the game had been a blessing in that respect - Shiro was quick to snuggle down and get comfortable. With the second pillow for the bed pulled to his chest he let out a contented sigh and allowed sleep to carry him off into the land of dreams. 

He slept soundly because the next thing he knew his alarm was going off on his phone and he’d barely moved a muscle. Feeling as though he had only had time to blink he grumbled in quiet compliance before he heaved himself out of bed and went to get ready for the day ahead. 

He was so dozy in fact that he didn’t even remember Keith was on the couch until he came out of the shower and saw the younger man still fast asleep.

And sprawled across the floor. Not on the couch at all. Well, except for a foot.

He was quite a sight. Wild black hair was splayed out in every direction, the covers were tangled awkwardly around him and his shirt had ridden up to expose his bare middle, which gave Shiro a lovely view of toned muscle.

Toned muscle he’d love to run his fingers across and trace his tongue over on his way down further towards- -

_ Wait, stop-stop-stop! What the hell?! _

Shiro turned and quickly disappeared back into his room, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process. He plastered himself to the back of the door and rubbed a hand down his face as he tried to school his thoughts.

That had not been appropriate. 

Not in the slightest. 

Keith was just a colleague, a friend. Nothing more. They were here to film VLD and then that would be the end of it - it would be like ATLA all over again with Keith disappearing and Shiro returning to his loneliness. That was his lot in life. He was used to it. 

But that most certainly did not give him the right to drool over his fellow actor like a hungry animal staring at a piece of meat. It was inexcusable and he knew better. 

Eventually he calmed himself down and quickly got dressed, gave himself a brief once over in the mirror and then ventured back out into the rest of the trailer. Keith was still asleep so Shiro decided to start getting a quick breakfast organised. Anything to distract himself from more inappropriate thoughts.

Only the smell of cooking eggs was enough to wake Keith from his slumber -- he grumbled a little, suddenly realizing how uncomfortable he was, then clambored back onto the couch to get his wits back about him. Seeing Shiro at the stove was a welcome sight, especially since he was still slightly damp from the shower. 

"Morning." Keith croaked out, voice still dampened from sleep. He slid off the couch and readjusted himself, yawning noisily as he took his turn in the bathroom. Keith was always quick in the bathroom, so he didn't make Shiro wait long. 

Though he was feeling pretty brave when he padded into the living area with only a towel slung around his hips. Wasn't his fault that he forgot to drag in a change of clothes, but -- when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, right? 

Keith scratched at his stomach as he dug through his bag for the skintight undersuit they had been asked for wear for their armor fitting that day. He eyed the stretchy fabric with clear distaste before glancing curiously at Shiro. Did he look? Did he want to look? Was this really just too much? 

All good questions. 

"Shiro." Keith called from the couch, still soaking wet and clung in nothing but a towel, knowing exactly what he was playing at. "Can I borrow your razor? I forgot mine."  _ Look at me. _

Shiro bit his lower lip as he took his frying pan off the heat, internally arguing with himself. What was appropriate? What wasn’t? He took a soft breath and finally turned, caving to his selfish desires.

Oh god...

He was fucked. Royally.

There was Keith, standing in nothing but a towel that hung teasingly low on his hips, water droplets running down his chest and his gorgeous eyes glistening with his wet bangs pushed away from his face. 

He looked...divine. 

“Uh,” his brain misfired. “Razor. Yeah, sure. It’s in the bathroom cabinet.”

Shit, Shiro didn’t know if he had the strength for this. Temptation was staring him dead in the eyes and he couldn’t act. What would become of him? Could his soul survive this meeting with such an ethereal being?

Keith knew the look of a man struggling with temptation and internally preened at the idea that Shiro found him attractive. It wasn't the time to act on it, of course -- but it was good to know. For future reference. 

Judging by the white-iron grip Shiro had on the pan, it'd have to be Keith to make the first move. He was fine with that. 

"Thanks." Keith gathered up his clothes and hurried into the bathroom before Shiro exploded, in a small act of mercy. 

He came back out freshly clothed and with his head of hair air dried just a bit. Those eggs smelled good but Keith made for the coffee first, pouring himself a glass and standing next to Shiro casually. The tension was less now that Keith was clothed, and it was a welcome change for the moment. "I thought you couldn't cook." Keith stated idly, taking another drink. 

Shiro pouted a little. “I can do some simple stuff like frying now,” he replied, then smiled sheepishly. “Still hopeless at all the more complicated stuff though. Thank god for YouTube tutorials or I’d be living off salad.”

He’d put toast on to go with the eggs because it was quick and even Shiro couldn’t screw up toast, and he had two plates out. “I know it’s not much, but I remember you telling me you like eggs on Avatar, so I figured it’d be okay.”

"Who doesn't like eggs?" Keith muttered as he watched the yolks cook. The fact that Shiro remembered some throwaway fact from 5 years ago did warm his heart though. "If they still haven't fixed my trailer by tonight, I'll make you dinner in thanks. Think of something good." 

"Smells good though." Keith hummed as he pulled over the plates to start scooping the food on. "Do you ... Remember much from Avatar?"

Shiro smiled. He almost felt a little silly for how happy such a simple task had made him. He was just frying a few eggs but now that Keith had come in to help with the plates it suddenly had a very domestic feel to it.

“I remember a fair bit,” he admitted, careful as he placed Keith’s eggs on his toast. “We all had such a good laugh on Avatar, but I don’t miss the long hours in the studio reading the same lines over and over again. Going to the conventions was fun.”

"It's just hard to believe it's been... What? Five years?" Keith took the plates to the table and set them down. While Shiro sat down to eat, Keith refilled their coffee cups. They sat across from one another, barely an arm's reach away, close enough to pass salt, pepper, and shy smiles. 

"Eggs are good." Keith said once he finished his first piece, hand inching towards the second on his plate. "I don't miss the long days either, but you know it'll happen again once the shooting starts. Have to worry about more than just your voice when you're on camera." 

He munched on his second piece of egg on toast and nodded to himself, remembering those long nights. After a few too many cans of red bull, anything seemed possible. They had been giddy enough one night that shoving around playfully had suddenly turned into Keith half in his lap. 

Keith's fingers stilled against the table as He recalled that night. Shiro had looked -- the room was dark, but Keith swore -- he looked like he ached to kiss Keith. And God, he had wanted that, was tilting up to meet him when another cast member knocked on the door and scared them apart. 

Why he remembered that now of all times was beyond him. 

"I do miss conventions though. Hopefully Voltron will be popular enough we're invited to more again." Keith shrugged, hoping to get that almost kiss off his mind. 

“I think it definitely has the potential,” Shiro smiled, and licked a bit of egg yolk from his thumb. “I mean it’s got giant robot lions in space. What’s not to love about that?”

The conversation between them flowed smoothly as they both finished their breakfast, by which point they had just enough time to tidy up the dishes and then leave the trailer. A busy day of costume fitting and camera tests awaited them and they didn’t want to be late.


	3. Chapter 3

Allura and Hunk were already there when they arrived, and Shiro considered himself lucky that Lance and Pidge had yet to show. There was no doubt in his mind that the two younger actors would have been all over both him and Keith like a rash, interrogating them for arriving together in the hopes of getting some juicy gossip.

Or was that just wishful thinking on Shiro’s part? Probably, but it didn’t happen so he could relax.

He took a seat in the studio of the costumes department beside Hunk, eyes lingering on Keith as Allura moved to speak to him and offer him coffee from the machine, until he sensed Hunk’s gaze on him and turned his head.

Where he may have expected suspicion and curiosity, all he saw in the other actor’s eyes was gentle concern. “You and Keith sort things out?” Hunk asked him, then smiled. “Sorry, don’t wanna be rude, but you guys were both pretty miserable yesterday.”

“Ah, yeah,” Shiro mused. “It’s all dealt with. Keith was just a bit embarrassed and I put him on the spot. We’ve cleared it all up now though.”

Hunk nodded and had a sip from a coffee cup he was cradling. “That’s good. We were worried.”

Shiro blinked and waited for Hunk to elaborate on that, but the other didn’t so he just hummed and leaned back further into the padded chair he was in. When Hunk spoke again a moment later it was to the whole room, and Shiro was glad for the change in subject. 

“Anyone else as self conscious as me about these bodysuits we’ve got to wear? They do nothing for my figure.” His tone was light and airy, purposefully poking fun at himself. Shiro admired that about him. Hunk, while a bit on the large side, was clearly perfectly comfortable with the way his body was, enough to make jokes at his own expense that Shiro honestly felt were a bit harsh on him.

He was also envious of Hunk’s confidence. After his accident Shiro had been left badly scarred beyond the loss of his arm, and for many months he had been unable to face himself in a mirror. It had taken a lot of counselling and patience for his mind to recover even long after his physical wounds had healed, and while he now had a physique to be proud of he wasn’t comfortable with drawing any unnecessary attention toward himself.

One day he hoped to feel fully comfortable in his own skin again. But that wasn’t today, so the fact that the body suit would cover everything actually suited him.

"So sorry you look like the brick house you are." Keith teased from his own seat besides Allura. "Even on the floor I could see you throwing around David! The audience is gonna see the power there, Hunk." Something about Keith's tone said he saw it too, but his easy confidence was starting to crumble when Hunk just stammered at the completely real compliment from Keith Kogane. 

"I understand you Hunk. I cannot wait until we see our armor!" Allura said excitedly. "From what I've been told it's quite easy to move around in, despite the bulk." 

"News to me." Keith laughed dryly. He hoped that was the case, especially for Shiro and his prosthetic. 

"With how much Akira and Ryou interact I think the audience is going to pin me as the small one." Keith continued with an upturned grin. "I didn't work on my abs to be labelled the bottom, you know?" 

Allura and Hunk laughed at that, and Keith laughed along, glad they took it for the joke it was. It was only when that laughter faded that Keith realized he didn't see how Shiro had reacted. He turned his gaze quickly, hoping he hadn't made the other man uncomfortable --

There were no signs of discomfort in Shiro’s expression at all. Just a faint dusting of pink on his cheeks that could easily have been missed as he chuckled along with them. “Oh god, the shipping wars are going to be intense if this really takes off.”

“Ach, I’m not worried,” Hunk said, swirling the remainder of his coffee in his cup. “Somehow I don’t think my character will get any kind of romance arc, which suits me. I’m more suited for the comic relief with just a touch of genius.” He grinned and looked between them all.

“You three on the other hand are all going to be shipped to hell and back. Don’t tell Lance I said this, but you three are the prettiest so it’s bound to happen.”

“I dunno,” Shiro mused. “My character is the oldest of the five paladins, so he’ll probably just be looked at as the leader of the group. An older brother figure maybe.”

"Yeah, because Akira definitely chases you to the ends of the universe and cradles you in his arms like a brother would." Keith snorted into his own cup of coffee, bitten off into a curse when it spilled a little onto his hands. 

"Besides, my character is meant to be a thousand years old. If anyone is meant to be the voice of reason, it should be me." Allura pointed out. "Especially with all the humor they're putting on Coran. And yet I'll have a romance arc with not one but two members of the team." Allura didn't seem especially pleased with the idea, so she just shrugged. 

Keith couldn't help but think of kissing Lance, and understood why she looked grumpy. "I'm with Hunk. The shipping wars will be brutal. My agent will probably never let me hear the end of it."

What would Akira and Ryou be anyway? #akyou ? #ryira ? None of them really rolled off the tongue. 

“Goes with the territory I guess,” Hunk mused. “Potential relationships aside, I like the characters. They’re a diverse bunch and they’ve got an interesting dynamic. I get that a lot of the humour is for the kids, but I think this is going to be a big hit for adults too.”

Shiro nodded and was on the point of replying when Lance strolled into the studio, personalised coffee cup in hand and not a hair out of place with Pidge and Coran just behind him. 

“Good morning all you lovely people, and Keith.”

Pidge, who was noticeably less awake, punched his arm. “Can I at least sit down before you start any arguments? Way too early, man.” She was cradling her own coffee cup like it was the source of her life energy, which for Pidge was probably accurate.

“Just a bit of fun, getting in character and all that.” Lance took a seat beside Keith and showed him a more friendly smile. “Thanks again for your help last night. I’ll return the favour when you get your proper trailer if you like.”

“Oh yeah, any word on when that’ll be?” Hunk asked, looking back to Keith.

"I was going to say -- bold words from the man I helped unpack last night." Keith shot Lance a shit-eating grin before turning back to the rest of the cast. Since they had all arrived by this point, the crew got to work bringing in their suits. Since everyone was already wearing their undersuit, they were clipped into their armor then and there, meaning they could keep up the conversation. 

"I'm not sure. The rain from last night soaked through my trailer so they had to give me a hotel voucher." Keith said, momentarily breathless when his chest plate was strapped on. The thing was thankfully not too heavy for what it was, but the weight would still take some getting used to. 

"No way." Hunk looked distraught on his behalf, and Keith fluttered momentarily under the attention. "That's awful man. You can stay with me if you ever need to, that's just --" 

Keith cut Hunk off with a quick shake of his head. "It's fine, really. But, uh, thanks." He didn't exactly need to become some trailer-hopping nomad during his time on set, as much as he appreciated the offer. 

The rest of their armor was strapped on with little fanfare, the costume designer going around and taking notes on any changes that needed to be done. She stopped at Keith with an unimpressed look. "I thought we had agreed to have him clean cut, like Shiro?" The assistant beside her shrugged. 

Keith brought his hand up to the hair in question and visibly gulped. "I've always had it long." 

"If they didn't say anything to you yesterday, then it's fine. Armor fits well, but I'll put in a new order for an undersuit. You must have really bulked up during the summer -- good job." 

"...thanks?" Keith just burned red and shifted nervously, wondering what all the suit showed off. 

Shiro was last, and the designer beamed up at him. "Shiro, always a pleasure. Your costume was tricky, but you know how I love a challenge. Is it a comfortable fit?" 

The man smiled politely at her. “It feels good so far, Trish,” he replied, and moved his arm a little. “I’ll admit it’s a little strange having something like this over my prosthetic, but that’s down to me and what I’m used to. I’m sure I’ll adapt.”

The true test would come when it was time to do some training and shooting with the armour on. It felt relatively sturdy and Trish had done her best to make it as lightweight as possible, but only prolonged physical activity would test how durable it was. Shiro envisioned many sets of armour would be harmed in the making of Voltron. 

“If I have any issues with it I’ll be sure to mention them. Until then I can only apologise in advance if I end up breaking things.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Trish smiled. “This is my job after all. I’ve got to have something to do.”

“In that case I hope these costumes are pretty tough,” Pidge commented. “I’ve a bad habit of breaking things, and one flex from Shiro will probably split his chest plate.”

Shiro blushed while Lance sighed dramatically. “I wish I could bulk up like those two. Genetics are so not fair sometimes.”

"Just eat some actual protein once in awhile." Keith laughed. He couldn't really take too much credit -- both his parents were chorded with muscle. Keith had been the limp stick child until he had been forced to work out for this gig. 

Next came the durability test. It was one thing to look pretty in a suit of armor; another to be able to move in it. Still, Lance was able to lap them all easily around the track. Keith kept to Shiro's pace, breathing steadily through his nose with his eyes forward, ignoring Lance's taunts. 

The armor felt good and airy enough, but it was heavy so Keith wasn't sad to have it taken off. He was presented with an extra undersuit by the time they were done running laps, for which he thanked Trish profusely. He'd like to leave some things to the imagination.

Lunch was delivered to the crew, for which Keith ducked out to call his mom. He left Shiro with an apologetic smile and abandoned him to the hungry maws of the rest of the Paladins. 

Shiro might have thought Allura and Hunk unnoticing of the two of them arriving together, but he was unfortunately very mistaken. 

"Help me with the timeline of this morning, Shiro." Allura said quietly as they picked a table together, blessedly far away from the other crew. "Keith was unable to sleep in his trailer last night, and yet arrived with you two fitting early this morning. That's impeccable timing, isn't it? Unless you were...oh, I don't know," she swirled her salad with her fork, faking innocence, "together, this morning?" 

Shiro pauses mid-bite of his chicken wrap, eyes blinking several times before he lifted his gaze to the woman across the table from him.

Oh dear, he should have seen this coming. Of course there were going to be questions, assumptions, and guesses as to why he and Keith had appeared at the same time. It was human nature to be curious. But what should he say? Keith hadn’t mentioned anything about him staying over when his trailer had come up in conversation, so for all Shiro knew he wanted to keep it quiet. The last thing he wanted to do was make Keith mad at him again.

He took his bite and chewed thoughtfully, considering his response. He wanted to protect Keith’s privacy, however Shiro did not like lying to people, so there was a moral dilemma right there. Allura wasn’t a huge gossiper though, from what he could tell. He felt he could trust her.

With what exactly? There was nothing to tell! 

Shiro swallowed and cleared his throat. “He asked if he could crash on the couch,” he said at last, face kept carefully blank. “Since his trailer was flooded there was no way I would say no.” He shrugged. “I’d like to think that someone would help me out if I was in that situation.”

"Oh, boo." Allura looked almost ... disappointed? No, she absolutely was disappointed for Shiro having nothing interesting to add. "And here I thought I was in the know, Shiro." Which, clearly not, if Shiro was just being a good co-host and allowing Keith to crash on his couch. "That was very kind of you. I'm sure Keith does appreciate your help."

Speaking of... "That poor Kogane, though. He has no idea when his trailer will arrive, and now the one that has been his makeshift is barely even livable. We should do something nice for him." Allura seemed convinced, self-driven in this promise she only just entertained. 

"I don't know what just yet, but I'm counting on you to help me figure that out." It was all smiles with Allura now. She seemed pleased at this decision -- enough to overcome the initial disappointment of no drama -- and went back to her salad. 

Clearly, privacy would not be an issue with her. 

It was already halfway through lunch when Keith returned, cutting short a conversation Shiro and Allura had struck up about charities they were involved in. Keith took his seat slowly when Allura stopped talking, looking suddenly nervous as he settled with his sandwich. "Sorry, uh, I didn't mean to interrupt." 

"Oh, no, you're fine Keith! We were just coming to an end to that topic, anyway." Allura assured him with a kind smile and wave of her hand. "How is your mother?" 

"Oh. She's good! Misses me, apparently." Keith smiled fondly, continuing with, "Heard I was having a rough time of things so she's coming down this weekend with Kosmo." He nudged Shiro with his elbow. "So you'll get some puppy lovin' a bit earlier than I thought." 

Thankfully for Shiro Keith’s arrival and mention of Kosmo distracted him from his conversation with Allura, though Shiro knew in the back of his mind that that wasn’t the last he’d likely hear of the subject.

But he would worry about that later. For now Keith was back and Shiro couldn’t help the beaming smile that broke out across his face. That always happened whenever dogs were mentioned around Shiro. He would never turn down the chance to spend time with a saggy tailed pup, and Kosmo sounded like an absolute delight from what Keith had already told him.

“I can’t wait,” he told his friend. It was the honest truth. Forget the fact that dogs were fun and loveable for the most part, they were also incredibly comforting. Yuki had helped Shiro a lot following his accident, always there to provide comfort and snuggle with him on the days he’d been too tired and upset to leave his flat. He sometimes wondered if maybe she’d held on as long as she had to make sure he recovered. He would always treasure her memory for that.

“Are they staying for the whole weekend?” He asked Keith, wondering if the younger man may stay away from the studio for the duration of the visit. Shiro knew Keith was a bit sore about the trailer situation, so he hoped a visit from his mother and Kosmo would help cheer him up.

"Yeah, so I'll be staying with them at the hotel this weekend. But Mom promised to stop by when she gets in Friday so you can see Kosmo." Keith nodded as he turned away from Shiro's beaming smile. It was just too damn cute! "You know how big a fan Mom is. Be prepared to sign something and / or get invited to dinner." 

It was a running joke with the old ATLA crew that Shiro was popular beyond belief with moms, first for his attractive looks and then for his real sugary sweet personality. His own Mom fell for it, hook line and sinker when she met Shiro for the first time. 

Keith couldn't blame her. He'd fallen for it too. 

Shiro grinned. “I’ll sign whatever she wants if it gets me a little longer with Kosmo.”

Allura watched him and smiled fondly. “You look like a kid in a sweet shop.”

Turning bashful Shiro rubbed at his neck. “Dogs mean a lot to me. Keith showed me pictures, so of course I’m going to get excited.”

“Oh? Exciting pictures?” Leaving that little innuendo hanging in the air she sent Keith a little coy smile and then stood up with her tray. “Well, I look forward to meeting them. I’m heading back now, so I’ll see you guys in a bit.” A wink at Keith that Shiro didn’t see because he was eating and then Allura was off, leaving behind a shell shocked Keith and Shiro who was none the wiser.

Shiro normally wasn’t that dense, but he genuinely was looking forward to spending time with Kosmo, so Allura’s words had flown completely over his head. It was the kind of situation that he’d probably look back on in the future with huge embarrassment, but right now ignorance was bliss in Shiro’s own little world.

It really wasn't fair for Allura to put the thought of exchanging 'exciting' pictures in his mind. Keith managed a smile and a wave as she left, but it was wholly distracted. Of course, Keith only had his shitty flip phone with its equally shitty camera so any pictures he took would likely be blurry or low quality -- 

Not that Keith would send nudes to Shiro. No. That was -- that was a bad idea. Right? Yeah. Not that Shiro would ever send something mouth watering to his phone, either. 

PG-13 thoughts were pushed aside as soon as Keith could focus on Shiro's sunny smile again without imaging him naked. 

...

They talked the remainder of lunch about everything and nothing, continuing even when they were pulled on set to test the cameras. The set they had built for the Castle of Lions really was amazing, and Keith was more than happy to play with the screen on his seat. 

They had been put back into their Paladin Armor and asked to throw out some lines, but Keith found his character didn't talk much unless it was to Ryou. And what a fine figure Shiro cut up there on the bridge, hands on his hips and legs spread in a stance. 

Keith would be staring more but the last thing he needed was the camera catching his longing. "We should be careful. We don't know anything about this place." Keith said on his marker, moving closer to Shiro. "And you haven't completely healed yet, Ryou."

Shiro turned to him and in that moment his character seemed to come alive. Shiro didn’t just look the part, he also sounded like it as he delivered his line perfectly. He was a lovely speaker, each word and phrase perfectly articulated and clear. It was as though a switch had been flicked and he’d become Ryou, with the body language and vocal tone of a warrior and survivor. Even though the line hadn’t been anything particularly dramatic Shiro still owned it.

Until Lance sneezed in the background. 

“Dude, really?!” Pidge yelled. “At least cover your nose and mouth!”

“Yeah, man, we don’t want your germs,” Hunk said, then sniggered. “I know we’re friends but that’s a bit much.”

“Shut up!” Lance retorted, then sniffed loudly. “I can’t help it if I have a dust allergy.”

“Where is there any dust?!” Pidge demanded. 

As the interruption evolved into a loud debate Shiro chuckled and turned back to Keith. “Uh, cut?” They were just doing camera tests so the call wasn’t needed but Shiro found it amusing to say anyway. “That’ll be one for the blooper reel if we got it.”

Keith had just been getting into the groove of his character when Lance shattered the illusion with his dramatic sneeze. He had been tempted to join the berating squad, but just rolled his eyes and stole a drink from his water bottle instead. What Shiro said made him snort with laughter, though, and he hid his smile behind his hand. "Lance will be hoping we didn't. No one wants to be first."

Since the atmosphere was ruined, the makeup crew came up and patched over any spots that had been sweated off under the heat of the lights. Keith stayed deathly still as his artist carefully reapplied his eyeliner. "I don't look too girly?" Keith mumbled, self conscious. 

"You definitely rock this look." She assured him as she stepped back. 

They reconvened for a second take only to have Hunk flub his lines so hard Keith broke out with laughter, raw and open. Hunk shoved at him playfully, pretending to be aghast, while Keith giggle snorted. 

They clearly weren't getting much further with these camera tests, so the crew called it a day and sent everyone back. But Keith wanted to stay on the set and practice his lines a little longer -- got the permission easily enough. That he hoped Shiro would join him was the real unknown. 

"Want to run over some lines while we're still in costume?" Keith asked, holding up his script and looking so hopeful. Meanwhile, Lance yelled in the background that they were going out for drinks and anyone was welcome. So Shiro had some choices. 

It was a no brainer for Shiro really. He wasn’t much of a drinker anyway and, going by the calamity of the others as they took their leave, there were going to be a few sore heads in the morning. Shiro hoped they would have fun but be sensible, but was quite happy to stay back at the studio himself and take Keith up on the offer of further rehearsals.

Of course, if Keith had been going out with the others too then that would likely have changed Shiro’s mind, but it seemed both of them weren’t in any rush to leave, and that was just fine with Shiro.

He turned back to the younger man and flicked his white bangs out of his eyes. “Okay. Got a particular scene in mind that you wanna try?” he asked, completely oblivious of how good he looked with the way the lighting was hitting him and how well the paladin armour complimented his already impressive physique. 

He probably wouldn’t have interested Keith much anyway. There had been the potential for something between them during ATLA and Shiro would have been thrilled if they’d had the chance of getting together, but things had changed since then that even a really good costume designer and make up artist couldn’t hide forever.

Keith was young and attractive and likely already had multiple suitors all vying for his attention. He could have anybody if he set his mind to it, so why would he ever consider Shiro? Scarred, damaged Shiro who, for all his smiles and efforts to hide it, was now a very self conscious individual who lacked confidence to make that first step when he found himself attracted to someone. 

He had come to terms with the changes in his body following his accident, but that didn’t mean that others would be so accepting when they saw the full extent of the damage underneath.

No. Him and Keith, as much as he would have liked it, were never likely to happen. They were just friends. Shiro was fine with that. Really. He was.

"Cool." Keith hadn't realized everyone was leaving the set when he asked Shiro to stay behind, but there they went -- the other actors to go drinking, the crew to their next break. Until it was just him and Shiro, alone on set. Normally that wouldn't shake him up, seeing as being with Shiro was as comfortable as breathing, but this was a different case. 

This was Keith being braver than his past self. 

"Yeah, I can never get the lines right for the scene on page 53." Keith flipped through his script and pressed his thumb into the last page -- number 52. His heart pounding, Keith explained the scene as Shiro flipped through his own script in an attempt to find a scene that didn't exist. "Its with Ryou and Akira abandoned on a planet, far from help. Ryou is wounded and thinks he's dying -- that he should be left behind. That Akira would do better without him." 

The nerves still twisting his stomach to a knotted mess, Keith's only outward sign was his hands rolling the script into a tight roll. "But Akira already abandoned Ryou once with the same mentality -- that -- That things were just better that way. But he knows now that isn't the truth. That he made a mistake, 5 years ago, by doing that to his friend."

"So this time, he tells himself he'll be brave. He'll stay by Ryou's side, because they're good together. As friends, yeah, but they could be more too. Akira has wanted that for -- for a really long time." Keith laughs nervously. It feels weird to say out loud. 

"Because how could he not fall for Ryou, who's kind, smart, stupid handsome, and makes him feel at home? Because between stargazing, and cooking messes in the kitchen, and playing videogames, or just talking, it's. It's more than Akira has felt for someone ever. And that scared him."

"Not anymore." Keith tries his best to keep his eyes on Shiro, but his face is burning with the heat of the confession. He remains steady but only because he has nowhere left to run. 

"Shiro, I --" Keith licks his lips, mouth dry as he says, "I want to be brave this time." 

Shiro had suspected nothing at first. He knew the scene Keith was referring to, remembered how intimate it had seemed on paper the first time he’d read the script.

He knew it...until he didn’t.

Until he realized there was no page 53 and Keith’s words were suddenly relating to something entirely different. Very much real and close to home. Not scripted at all. But did he dare believe it? Considering what he’d just been thinking, the timing of Keith’s words seemed like far too much of a coincidence, or maybe just wishful thinking on Shiro’s part.

Maybe he’d been standing under the hot studio lights for too long and now he was hallucinating. It suddenly felt very warm in the paladin armour, and the deafening silence of the set was drowned out by his heart, pounding like a jackhammer behind his ribs. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, too terrified to shatter the moment and wake up to find it was all a dream. To wake up alone...

Shiro was never this lucky. His last relationship had ended in disaster and no one had looked his way since. Sure, he had some good friends who he could call up and chat with for hours when he needed to, but they all had partners and their own lives. Shiro had never found his special someone who was just for him, someone to become his top priority and he was theirs. Someone who would be there at the end of a long day to talk, cuddle, laugh or cry with.

Someone who wanted him.

Could Keith really be that someone? Did Shiro have enough to offer, enough to make Keith stick around? He didn’t think he could take even more heartbreak. He’d already endured too much. His feelings for Keith had been exciting, and spending time with the younger man both on and off set had been the most fun Shiro had had in a long time.

Now Keith had come to him instead of running away, after sending Shiro some mixed signals that had left him more than a little confused at times. He should be happy. Hell, he was happy! But he was also scared.

Could it really work? Could he make Keith happy? Could he make Keith want to stay?

All these thoughts were swirling through his mind so fast that he didn’t even realize his eyes were starting to burn with tears. No big heavy drops, but enough to make his eyes shimmer and show some of the vulnerability under the cheerful facade Shiro had been maintaining for years now.

He should say something, he just didn’t know what. All he could think was stay.

Please, God, stay! Don’t walk away again just because his mouth and brain had decided to stop coordinating. Don’t think he was rejecting him.

Keith saw the tears shimmering in Shiro's eyes and knew he had ruined one of the best friendships he had ever had. Normally that would be enough to make him run -- to lick his wounds in a corner somewhere if just to get a little solace. 

But this was Shiro. 

And if he didn't want Keith as a partner, that was fine. But Keith still wanted to be friends. "I'm sorry." Was the first thing he said. "I guess you don't want that and -- I don't blame you, Shiro." 

"But I'm not sorry for telling you how I feel." Keith flexed his grip around the now ruined script and tried his best to smile. It was shaky and watery, but it was there. 

"If you can't see us together like that -- I hope we can still stay friends." Keith continued, voice wavering as the severity of the situation hit him in full. Shiro didn't like him like that. No one would, Keith, how could a piece of shit like you ever hope to find love? 

He choked out a pitiful laugh, tears finally spilling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Shiro." He sobbed, strong demeanor broken instantly, standing in front of Shiro and just tearing open his heart to bleed. 

Keith’s tears glinted in the light and that was what finally got Shiro moving. His long legs carried him the few short strides to cross the distance between them - a walk that Shiro had been dreaming of taking for some time now. Ever since he’d heard that Keith would be in Voltron as well he’d had this desperate longing to reach out to his old friend again and connect with him.

Nerves and confused feelings had screwed them over last time. Shiro would be damned if he let it happen again now. He was tired of always drawing the short straw, tired of being happy for everyone else while he was left with nothing. Unloved. Unwanted.

But Keith wanted him. Keith wanted him!

“Don’t apologize,” he said, voice shaky as he reached out with equally trembling hands to cup Keith’s face. He used his thumbs to gently wipe the tears away, careful of the slightly rough grippy material on the pads of his fingers against the younger man’s skin.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” he nearly whispered, his own eyes now betraying him and leaving wet trails down his cheeks. “I’m just… I didn’t think anyone would want me. I didn’t think you would.”

He drew in a shuddering breath and tried to think of something that would convince Keith he wasn’t being rejected. “I just really want this to be real. After we lost touch when Avatar ended, I thought you weren’t interested in me. I tried to convince myself I’d move on and forget about you, but I never did.”

His hands slid down to rest delicately on either side of Keith’s neck inside the high collar of his costume. “I’ve wanted to be more than friends with you for a long, long time.” He bit his lip. “But I was scared I might push you away again, like before.”

God, they were fools. 

There was no gentle way to put it. They were idiots, through and through, always putting themselves down when really they were on the same level. This whole time, Keith could have been kissing Shiro. Could have called him something sweeter than a friend. 

So Keith fell towards that promise, and bridged the gap between them. 

It was like his first and his last kiss all at once -- which wasn't accurate, but Keith tasted like it all the same. He clung to Shiro with a vibrant kind of passion that he had been scared to show, was still a little scared honestly, but Shiro made the leap worth it. 

"Shiro." Keith gasped against his lips. 

Shiro didn’t hesitate. The split second Keith moved Shiro was there, meeting him halfway with a desperation to match. The kiss was raw, sweet and uncoordinated. The nervous tension that had been lingering between them shattered like glass and any reservations they’d had were banished from their minds. Every brush and press of Keith’s lips, every shy touch of their tongues, it all filled Shiro with a thrilling sense of joy he’d never thought he’d get to feel.

“I’m here,” he breathed back, his words nearly lost to Keith’s lips. Fingers combed through long dark hair, revelling in its softness before curling loosely at the back of his neck to keep him close. Now that Shiro had a hold on him he never wanted to let go.

And there they stood, alone in the studio on the set of the castle ship’s bridge, completely lost in their own little world.

Keith was bumped when Shiro crashed against him, but they melded together in one perfect kiss, pausing only to reassure each other that this -- what they felt -- was real. Shiro's 'I'm here' nearly made Keith cry. Instead he mirrored Shiro's hold and scratched fruitlessly at his buzzcut for a grip. 

When he found none Keith just thought  _ fuck it _ and rested his hands on Shiro's hips instead. Bad call, but only because Keith accidentally pulled Shiro right up against his body and that meant that Shiro could feel -- 

Keith broke from the second kiss with an embarrassed sputter, red faced as he looked up at Shiro with wide eyes. He could be brave, yeah, but that was something he had yet to fully think over. Uh. In a realistic manner. 

That was for Keith to worry over later -- his panic melted into a fond smile as he leaned his forehead forward to press with Shiro's own. "We should probably stop kissing on set." He said lightly. "Because I want to continue, but who knows when the crew gets back to clean up?" 

_ Take me to your place. _

Shiro grinned like he was the luckiest man on Earth, which was pretty much how he felt at that moment. This new development between them was a thrill, and while he was giddy with delight he could also understand Keith’s words. They’d just made out in the middle of the set, a very public place, but that didn’t mean they wanted what was happening between them to become public knowledge. Not yet at least.

For now it was just theirs, precious and new and exciting, so Shiro was happy to keep it under wraps until Keith decided otherwise. So yeah, they should probably scamper before they were discovered.

He also saw the way Keith’s eyes sparkled. That gleam holding an unspoken request that Shiro’s heart heard in an instant. He was more than happy to oblige, so he took Keith’s hand in his own and led him quickly back to the changing rooms to ditch their armour. The rest of the cast had left their costumes in varying degrees of neatness on one of the benches, so the red and black paladin suits being dumped unceremoniously didn’t stand out too much for untidiness. 

Once changed, Shiro took Keith’s hand again and they made their way back towards the trailers, which involved some hilarity and really bad ninja sneaking as they tried to avoid being seen by any random crew members going about their own business. They pulled it off - somehow - and as soon as Shiro’s trailer door shut behind them the lock was flicked over and they were once again alone.

Keith hadn't really put two in two together until Shiro both had them sneak back to his trailer and he locked the door. A sudden flush rose over him as he realized how Shiro had taken both his body language and his words and made them into this present moment -- this charged privacy that begged for something to happen. 

Keith hadn't meant for this but only because he thought Shiro wouldn't be ready. Seeing the hazy look of arousal in the other man's eyes made Keith throw all his unsure worries out the fucking window.

Keith slammed Shiro up against the locked trailer door and held him there, lips on his neck instantly to suck bruising lovebites into Shiro's skin. While his lips gave Shiro a new pretty collar of purple, his hands moved down Shiro's body to appreciate each curve and dip of his body, and then rolled their hips together when he thought Shiro would ache for approval. 

Maybe Keith should have been embarrassed about how eager he immediately was but he wasn't about to spook Shiro off by admitting this was his first time. To distract his own quaking nerves, Keith rested his hands on Shiro's hips and raised his head to kiss him instead. 

The makeup team would have to cover up those bites and Keith thrilled at the thought. 

The moment he felt himself get shoved back into the door Shiro melted against Keith. He shuddered as skilled lips and teeth marked his skin in a way that left him breathless, and couldn’t help but moan as their bodies were pressed firmly together.

Shiro was weak for a man who liked to take control, so he followed Keith’s lead and was more than eager to bend to his whims. Then they were kissing again and he was given a chance to breathe a little more, understanding that Keith was still testing their boundaries and deciding where he felt most comfortable.

Shiro had always been a considerate lover, always wanting to ensure his partner was at ease with him and able to go at their own pace. Shiro had only really had the one proper relationship in the past (the one that had ended in disaster) so as long as Keith was okay with how fast things were going then he would be content. He moaned softly into Keith’s mouth and ran his fingers through his hair again.

It was so soft.

Keith was quickly losing grip of his rationale -- with every moan from Shiro, Keith was losing more and more blood from his brain. As things were going, he wouldn't last long. Which was the last thing he wanted. 

And while the fingers in his hair keeping them together were extremely welcome, they kept Keith from moving where he wanted to go. So he bit Shiro's bottom lip, and while he was distracted, dropped to his knees. 

He definitely hit the floor too hard and hoped Shiro was too horny to hear Keith's muffled "ow." Because he was too horny to nearly feel it, himself, and was instead more focused on undoing Shiro's belt. 

But wait. It was one thing to kiss, another to get a sloppy blow job. "This okay?" Keith asked, pausing in his movements. "If I'm going too fast..."

Shiro swallowed and stared down at Keith with a hooded gaze, pupils blown wide with arousal. The taller man drew in a shaky breath, prosthetic hand reaching down to brush Keith’s bangs away from his face. “Please… I want you to have me… Fuck, Keith. I’ve wanted this for so long.”

And there he was, flushed and aroused with his belt yanked open, quivering overheated muscle that longed to be touched by another. By Keith. Shiro didn’t want his stupid brain to give the younger man any false indications.

“Please…”

Well. Keith was glad he cleared that up, at least, because that look Shiro was pinning him with was unmistakable. "Yeah, okay." Keith stuttered, hands back on Shiro's belt. "Okay, yeah -- I can -- I can do that for you." His brain wasn't working, but with everything laid out it didn't even matter now. 

Keith was all too happy to shut down his brain as he pulled Shiro's cock free and kissed the root of it, if just to watch Shiro twitch. It felt like an apology from the universe when Keith wrapped his hand around it and realized how big Shiro really was. 

God. He never wanted to choke on dick till now. 

Which -- considering his inexperience, he probably would. But Keith wanted this to be good for Shiro. So he pushed back the part of his brain screaming at him to try to take it all at once and unknowingly went teasing instead; starting with kitten licks on the head, swipes of his tongue down the curve, slow jerking off as he tried to figure out what the hell to do. 

Instinct eventually took over. Once Keith (and Shiro, wow) was warmed up, Keith took him down in one motion and went to work. 

Shiro’s blood started to boil with the building pleasure as Keith took him fully into his mouth. His whole body felt hot, the door behind him was cold and he scrabbled for any kind of purchase.

Fucking hell. The sight of Keith deep throating him, those gorgeous violet eyes watching for every reaction, the hot wetness of his mouth. It was like something out of one of Shiro’s dreams.

One of his very, very good dreams. A fantasy he’d never believed would come to fruition. And the fact that this was something Keith had wanted to do made him even harder, almost painfully stiff.

His breathing turned ragged, soft whimpers and hums morphing into heavy grunting moans. Shiro tried to smother the sounds with his right hand, the left now taking its turn to push into Keith’s hair and take a loose handful of it. He didn’t move his hips, not wanting to choke the other, but each hard suck and move of that incredibly talented tongue made it even more difficult to hold on to both his sanity and his control.

Watching Shiro come apart under his mouth was Keith's new favorite pastime. He could barely think past the cock filling his mouth and his desperation to make this good for Shiro, but those noises alone were enough to make Keith feel faint. If nothing else, tonight Keith wanted Shiro to cum like this -- to make a mess between the both of them as Keith worked him to that peak of pleasure. Just like that one very good dream of his own. 

Keith moaned when he felt Shiro's dick hit the back of his throat, and sent a quick prayer of thanks to whatever higher ups decided to give him a nonexistent gag-reflex. Emboldened, Keith went faster, sloppier, the noises below obscene as he tried to work Shiro into orgasm. 

If nothing else, Shiro could cum like this and then return the favor, post-bliss. But Keith couldn't help but wonder if he could work Shiro to a second orgasm when he finally fucked him on his bed. Giddy with the thought, Keith grasped both of Shiro's thighs and held him in place as he face-fucked himself on his dick. 

Shiro was very quickly losing his grip on reality. Balanced precariously on a knife’s edge between delirious pleasure and oblivion it took all his strength just to keep standing and prevent his hips from rolling into Keith’s mouth.

The tight coil of his building orgasm was ready to snap at any moment, his abdominal muscles rock hard tense and toes curling in his boots while his head lolled around as he lost himself in ecstasy. With his lips slack and his lungs starting to burn he tried to warn Keith of his imminent demise, but stringing words together into a simple sentence was now a near impossible task.

“K-Keith… I’m gonna…” Another guttural moan. God, he hoped these trailers had at least some sound proofing! The words died, his eyes near rolled back in his head and with one final cry he exploded into Keith’s mouth.

Honestly, Shiro was so far down his throat, Keith didn't even realize he was cumming until he opened his eyes and saw Shiro's head bang against the doorway. It startled him just enough that he pulled away, catching the tail-end of Shiro's cum along his chin and chest in hot splashes. Everything else he swallowed just from the shock, wide eyed as he watched Shiro fight to catch his breath. 

Hell, he wouldn't have minded catching his own breath too, but found it hard to do when Shiro looked like that because of him. Pride rushed through Keith as he stood and placed his hands on Shiro's hips, holding him loosely until he looked stable. There was still cum on his face and staining his shirt, but that didn't stop Keith from leaning up and kissing Shiro's slack mouth. 

The kiss was light, merely a brush of their lips, and a prelude for Keith hooking his fingers into Shiro's belt loops to drag him back to the bedroom. He pressed Shiro unceremoniously to the sheets before laying beside him to wait out the vestiges of orgasm. 

Not that Keith was without his own needs, but -- fuck, this erection wasn't flagging anytime soon. He could wait. "Feel okay?" Keith asked after a moment, rolling to his side to run his hand up and down Shiro's prosthetic

Shiro’s eyes fluttered open as he started to come back down from his high, body comfortably warm and heavy but still hypersensitive. He turned his head and looked at Keith with a face still flushed and his white bangs sticking lightly to his skin.

“Fucking hell,” he breathed, eyes starting to clear now that the heat of lust had been temporarily sated. He should have felt embarrassed at how overwhelmed he’d been - it had been a long time since anyone had touched him intimately - but for some reason with Keith he felt completely at ease.

“Feel great,” he managed to reply, and shifted a little closer so he could brush his lips against Keith’s. This evening was turning out way better than he could ever have imagined. Being at Keith’s mercy had been hot as fuck, and now seeing him willingly touch his prosthetic without any hesitation meant more to Shiro than he was currently able to articulate. 

"Good." Keith smiled a bit shyly at that, only comfortable looking so vulnerable with Shiro. "It's been awhile for me. I wasn't sure if I would still be any good." Because as bad as Keith claimed to be with people, even he had managed to get a sloppy bj exchange one night at a bar. 

That was, uh, maybe 4 years ago? So 'awhile' didn't even begin to cover how rusty he should have been. 

Speaking of. Keith could feel some cum still on his cheek, so he pulled up the bottom of his shirt to wipe it clean, looking away shyly as he did so. Just casually putting his abs and still very much interested jeans tent on display. 

But it felt awkward to ask for reciprocation. The initial fiery lust was gone, leaving Keith unsure. "If you still want, I could --" Keith cleared his throat. "I don't know if you have a preference, but we could fuck?"

It was Shiro’s time to be bashful, and he glanced to the side as he felt a new blush spread across his cheeks. He felt silly. Less than five minutes ago he’d had his dick down Keith’s throat, but now he was feeling shy and exposed. 

Stupid brain and stupid confidence issues. 

“I, uh…” He knew he had to say but he was afraid of rejection. But Keith had asked the question so Shiro had to answer. “I prefer to bottom,” he mumbled at last, voice low. He steeled himself for Keith’s reaction, fearful that he’d judge him like others who had just assumed he’d want to top because he was big and muscular.

Shiro hated that stigma. Some people could be really vocal about it, and he’d had too many arguments with almost lovers over the admission before they’d all stormed out on him. All of them, every single time.

He supposed he could have lied to Keith and said the opposite, but considering how well things had gone between them already Shiro didn’t want to risk ruining it all by tainting what they had with lies. 

"Okay." Keith took this new source of info without even blinking, then asked, "Do you have lube and condoms?" He went where Shiro directed, scrounging out the purple bottle in question and then a gold packet. He frowned at the size until he realized he had no idea what condom size was right for his dick. 

Hopefully Shiro was as good a guess as him. Keith set their things on the bedside table and lingered there, nervous until he saw the cute blush on Shiro's cheeks. That demanded kisses, which Keith was all too happy to provide. 

He climbed over top Shiro and pressed their lips together, chaste until it wasn't, but Keith could still feel Shiro's hesitance when he pulled up. "What's up?" Keith asked with a slight frown. "You're all tense."

Shiro smiled, hoping to put him at ease. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “Please don’t think I’m having second thoughts or anything.” His gaze trailed off nervously towards his prosthetic arm. “It’s just… I haven’t been with anyone like this since my accident.”

He was nervous how Keith would react to all the scarring, but more than anything he was scared to reveal himself. He felt very vulnerable without any clothes covering his skin, and while they had yet to strip off, it kind of went without saying that they'd end up naked.

But Shiro didn’t want to ruin things. He just needed a moment to settle again. Also, Keith had caught him a little off guard with how easily he’d accepted Shiro’s desire to bottom.

Once more, Keith had a feeling he should just call this off. He didn't feel pitying or mad, or any other kind of negative emotion towards Shiro. He just wanted this to be right. They had waited for 5 years, after all. It was what they deserved. 

It was hard to think Shiro wasn't having second thoughts with the strained expression he wore. Keith kissed the corner of his mouth and rolled off to at least give him some space. "Take your time. I'll get us some water." 

Keith took his time filling two glasses of water, pausing to drink a whole glass himself before refilling it. Here he was, buying Shiro some time and feeling like a piece of shit for being disappointed.  _ He's nervous just like you _ , Keith reminded himself as he leaned against the counter _. Stop trying to rush _ . 

Eventually he had to go back to the bedroom. But for now Keith just stared at the kitchen sink and willed himself to find some patience. 

“Keith?” Shiro’s voice came quiet and uncertain from behind. He’d left the bed and moved to the doorway to the bedroom, peeking out so he could see the younger man in the kitchen.

He waited until Keith turned to look at him, and tried his hardest not to tear up. It was difficult because he was frustrated with himself, but Keith didn’t need to deal with all of Shiro’s baggage. “I’m sorry. I’ve messed this all up, haven’t I?”

They’d had an amazing first kiss and then Keith had blown Shiro’s mind when they got back to his trailer, but now it seemed hard to breathe and Shiro hated himself. In trying not to cause problems all he seemed to have done was cause problems. He wouldn’t blame Keith if the other was having second thoughts now - why deal with all the hassle?

Adam hadn’t wanted to deal with it, and Shiro had thought they’d been solid.

It still hurt to think about how wrong he’d been back then.

"Hey." Keith felt his breath leave his lungs at the look of pure misery painted across Shiro's features. The last thing he wanted was to make Shiro feel guilty about this. He left the glasses by the sink and met Shiro in a few quick strides, taking his hands before either one of them could run away. "I'm just..." 

How do you even explain the feeling of wanting to give your all to someone? Keith couldn't form the necessary words, so instead he brought Shiro's palm up to his lips to kiss. "I want to be good for you. And I don't think either of us are ready to take that step tonight. You're nervous. I'm nervous." 

Keith pressed another kiss to Shiro's skin and smiled shyly. "It's currently a recipe for disaster." So what was there to do? Thankfully, Shiro had already gotten off, and Keith had blessedly gone from painfully aroused to a gentler chub. "I kinda want to play Skyrim again. You were doing really good last night. So....we can give this a try again, later. Is that okay?"

A flicker of hope came back to life in Shiro’s eyes. Maybe he wasn’t such a lost cause after all if Keith was willing to wait and still wanted to spend time together. His words made Shiro nod and he found the strength to smile again.

“I’d like that,” he agreed. “You don’t need to worry about being good for me, but since we’re both nervous I think you’re right. Slowing down a little now won’t do any harm in the long run.”

He turned his hand so he could hold onto Keith’s and stepped closer. “Can we maybe cuddle a bit while we play? Is that doable?”

"Yeah. I'd really like that." Keith relaxed with a smile and a sigh, fond as he reached up to kiss Shiro. "I'll boot up the game." He stole one more kiss for good measure and walked to the living room to set up, toeing off his shoes as he did so until it was just bare feet padding against the carpet. 

Shiro said he didn't have to worry about being good, but Keith wondered if that was the reality of it. He'd come to that whole I'm still a virgin later. For now, Skyrim. 

Once the game was loading, Keith threw himself on the couch and made himself comfortable against the arm rest, legs splayed out across the cushions. At first it looked like he was denying Shiro space to join him, but then Keith shot him a grin and patted his lap. 

Apparently Keith was more than fine with cuddling. He wanted Shiro in his lap.

The taller man approached quietly, but with a gentle smile on his lips. He admired how Keith had himself stretched out, glad that he was comfortable enough to make himself at home as Shiro had asked him to.

He was careful as he climbed onto the sofa, settling himself where Keith directed on his lap, but so he could lie down and rest against the other’s chest. Their legs tangled together almost naturally and Shiro let out a happy sigh as he got comfortable and relaxed.

“This okay? You’ll need to tell me if I get too heavy.”

Keith immediately ran his left hand through Shiro's hair, scratching at the buzzcut as he selected their shared save file. "This is comfortable for me." He said, and it was the honest truth. Shiro's weight over top of him was like a thunder blanket -- strangely soothing. Plus he was easy access for kisses, which Keith immediately took advantage of. 

"You want to play or you want me to?" Keith asked as they settled in for a night of gaming. And just like that, the awkwardness of earlier was wiped clean. They understood what they each wanted, and because of that clear indication everything was calm again. 

Though Keith wasn't going to forget Shiro's eager kisses or the feeling of his huge cock anytime soon. About an hour in, Keith realized he had no idea if he was expected to stay on the couch or not. Something to ask later. 

Shiro was happier than he could remember being in a long time, basking in the warmth and comfort of another so close to him - the fact it was Keith was the best part about it though. Shiro hadn’t realised how much he’d missed shared physical contact, and now he was determined to hold onto it.

He’d had a shot at the game again, showing some improvement from the previous night, but he was more interested in just cuddling with Keith so he had eventually relinquished the controller to the other (friend, boyfriend, almost-lover?) and went back to relaxing with his head pillowed on Keith’s chest.

What were they now anyway? Did Keith want them to be boyfriends, partners? Was it too soon to put a name to what they’d just started? Probably, but Shiro was okay with that so long as Keith was happy. They’d take the time they needed and let things evolve naturally.

For now Shiro was just happy, and he chattered quietly as he watched Keith ‘s character run around a mountain area in the game. At some point Shiro started to doze, lulled into calm serenity by Keith’s warmth and the sound of his heartbeat. He tried to stay awake but soon his eyelids grew too heavy and slid shut.

It was maybe 1 am when Keith realized Shiro had gotten a bit too quiet. He looked down at the man pillowed against his chest and smiled, filled with fondness when he saw Shiro had fallen asleep. Probably for the best -- it was really late. 

Only problem was Keith was squashed underneath Shiro (his now boyfriend, he reminded himself with a thrill) and not so inclined to move. 

The couch wasn't too bad so Keith just turned off the game and settled in for the night. He took another look at Shiro and his soft sleepy face, so full of admiration and adoration it almost hurt. "Night, Shiro." Keith whispered before closing his own eyes. 


	4. Chapter 4

He woke in the morning with an awful crick in his neck but it was so worth it. Their alarms blurred in harmony, screeching from where their phones had been abandoned on the table. Keith couldn't reach with his body still crushed under Shiro, so he reached down and gently tried to wake him. 

Shiro was normally a very light sleeper, so it was unusual for him to have slept the whole night without waking. As a result of that he felt more than a little disoriented when he did stir, finding a warmth that wasn’t his own and arms wrapped loosely around him. 

“Hmm?” A couple of sleepy blinks and he lifted his head to look at Keith. As soon as he saw the other he remembered what had happened between them and smiled shyly.

So it hadn’t been a dream after all…

“Morning,” he greeted quietly, gaze tender. “Sorry, I fell asleep on you, didn’t I?”

He didn’t think Keith really minded, otherwise he’d have shoved him off long ago. It was just so nice to wake up to someone holding him. 

"Hey." Keith responded to Shiro's greeting with a fond smile of his own, unable to help himself once he saw Shiro's sleepy face looking so pleased up at him. "I would have let you sleep longer but I can't reach the phones. Wanna hit snooze?" 

When Shiro moved to comply and the phones finally stopped blaring, Keith could only sigh with relief. 

The taller man was careful as he retook his spot, having a sip of water from his water bottle he’d filled the previous night. 

“Not a fan of snooze buttons,” he murmured. “But I’ll take whatever extra time I can get with you.”

Did that sound corny? Probably, but it was the truth. Shiro had just woken up to a smiling face that was just for him and he wanted to enjoy the moment, carve the memory into his mind for all eternity. The lonesome shadow that had long since fallen over him was finally lifting. All he wanted was to make Keith happy and find happiness with him.

But they agreed to take their time with things. Rushing what they add would only end in ruin and heartbreak - something neither of them needed. 

A gentle morning of soft kisses and cuddles though, that was heaven in Shiro’s mind.

The excitement bubbling in him calmed to a more stable fondness at Shiro's initial kiss. They both had awful morning breath but Keith found he didn't mind so much. After all, it was still kissing the man of his dreams. 

"Wow. Romantic." Keith chuckled at Shiro's corny line, quick to ease the teasing by kissing him again a little slower. They didn't have much time to lay about and kiss, sadly. Still enough time for Keith to be breathless by the end. 

"We have all day in the studio too. Though how much PDA you want to subject our co-workers to is up to you." They'd give them shit for anything beyond chaste kisses -- and maybe even just that was too much? -- but Keith found he didn't care. This was a gift five years in the making. 

"You let me know what you're comfortable with, okay? Later. For now, I have a feeling you want me here." There was a knowing smirk plastered to Keith's face, but he made it gentle by cupping Shiro's face lovingly.

Shiro closed his eyes and relaxed. “I wish we didn’t have to go on set today,” he admitted. “I just want a relaxing day with you.” He turned his head so he could kiss Keith’s palm, and the movement revealed the chain of love bites around his neck. “But I am curious to see how everyone will react.”

Shiro didn’t get the impression that Keith wanted to hide their new relationship, so he was excited to share the news, so long as Keith was happy with that. If he wanted to wait a little longer and keep it to themselves then Shiro would go with that decision, but hiding the state of his neck may prove to be a bit of a challenge. 

Keith shrugged, unsure how everyone would react to finding out Shiro and he were dating now. Lance would probably be the least surprised, considering all the teasing that had gone on the last few days they'd been on set. Allura and Hunk may have had an idea when they came in together the day prior, too. Really, it was whatever. 

Because all Keith cared about was how Shiro wanted this to play out. He knew what he wanted, but...

"We'll be together on set. And we have all night too, if you want." Keith assured him. "I might just die of happiness on the spot with getting to call you my boyfriend, so I'm not sure I'll make it to the evening." He added, quiet and a little shy about it. But Keith refused to look away, knowing that any further miscommunication would do them no favors. 

"I left you with plenty of lovebites, though. Maybe I won't even get to announce it." Keith grinned. 

Shiro chuckled. “We could always just say nothing and wait for them to notice.” It was amusing to imagine the reactions they might get, but at the end of the day it was all relative. 

Keith and Shiro were finally together, after years of pining and missed chances, and that was all that mattered to Shiro. If he could wake up with Keith like this every morning from now on then he would be a happy man.

“I suppose we should think about moving though,” he added reluctantly. “Don’t want to be late.” He sat up a little, placed a kiss on Keith’s temple, then stood and had a stretch. His back gave a rather loud crack, now protesting at the slightly awkward position he’d slept in all night.

"Let's agree to not sleep on the couch in the future. I'm going to need all the hot water for my neck." Keith grumbled as he sat up, hands resting lightly on Shiro's hips. "So you should probably shower first. I'll start breakfast." 

Once he was able to wriggle off the couch, Keith stretched his back too with a low groan of satisfaction once it popped. "Fuck." Rucking up his shirt to scratch at his happy trail, Keith went to the kitchen to start the coffee and eggs. 

Shiro was in and out of the shower quickly, a second towel wrapped around his shoulders to hide his scars as he slipped into the bedroom and got dressed. When he emerged he was wearing loose, comfortable clothing over a clean undersuit for his paladin armour.

Seeing Keith standing in front of the cooler making breakfast filled him with a sense of domesticity that Shiro couldn’t help but smile at. This new relationship between them still felt like a dream to him, and he could have stared at the gorgeous being in front of him for hours.

His face turned red when Keith caught him staring so Shiro stepped forward and hung his arms gently around the other’s narrow hips while he placed a kiss on his shoulder. “Shower is all yours. I’ll try not to burn anything while you’re gone.”

"Uh huh. Just keep them warm -- I won't be long." Keith smiled, still too sleepy to tease Shiro over staring. Besides, he could hardly blame the man seeing as his breakfast skills were a work of art. Keith didn't eat much, but he loved breakfast to a fault. Case and point with these eggs; a bit of milk, a bit of cheese, and careful handling of the yolk meant they were fluffy as hell and so fragrant they nearly overwhelmed the coffee brewing alongside the stove. 

In the pan were some potato bits he had found hidden in the back of the fridge and also a splash of green onion for color. Who knew Keith could cook? It was nothing fancy, but it certainly smelled great.

Keith was truthful when he said his shower wouldn't take long -- only a few minutes passed before he was out, dripping wet onto Shiro's shoulder as he pressed close and stole a bite. "Mm. Not burnt. Thanks, sweetheart." Keith swallowed his bite and pressed a kiss to Shiro's cheek for his diligence. 

It wasn't long before he had two plates loaded up for the both of them, looking immensely pleased as he looked over his work. The domesticity of the moment hit Keith then, randomly, as he ran his thumb over the white of the ceramic plate. When was the last time he made breakfast for two? He hadn't realized how much he missed it, honestly, or maybe that was just because he was cooking for Shiro. 

"I may have made too much." Keith was eager to find some flaw in his silence profession of love, chopping into the egg with the side of his fork a bit too aggressively. "But, uh -- eat up."

“No way I’m letting it go to waste,” Shiro grinned before quickly tucking in. He remembered his manners of course, but the smell of the food woke his hunger with a roar that demanded it be appeased.

Keith was an amazing cook. If this was what he could do with simple ingredients for breakfast then Shiro had to wonder what else he was capable of. It made him feel so inadequate in the kitchen, but in an amusing way.

Shiro had once been so bad with cooking that he’d burned a pan when trying to boil water, and more than a few microwaves had fallen in the line of duty up against his complete culinary incompetence.

Fortunately, he wasn’t that bad anymore and could now look after himself in the kitchen, but it was a far cry from Keith’s abilities and know how. Just another quality of the man that Shiro had now come to adore. Keith was the kind of person who could do anything once he set his mind to it, and Shiro found that very admirable. 

“You might have to teach me a few things,” he commented as he reached for his coffee. “I only know the basic stuff and you’d probably laugh at some of the creations I’ve come up with. Got some wacky kitchen mishap stories.”

"If I could get a story for each recipe I get you to learn, I think that's a fair enough exchange." Keith agreed with a grin, scrapping at his plate with a forlorn frown once he realized he had cleaned his plate much too fast. They were both aching for an easy, long morning together and with no food, Keith no longer had an excuse to stare across the table at Shiro. 

But maybe that could be arranged at work. 

"Keep me around, Shirogane, and I'll cook you breakfast every morning." And that was a promise Keith intended to keep, though he was sure even he would eventually run out of recipes to excite Shiro with. Not that he thought that would really matter -- or at least, he hoped. 

Shiro grinned. “In that case, I'll try to do something to make me worthy of that privilege. I don’t really have any impressive talents but I’ll figure something out.”

Now that they were both finished their breakfast Shiro took their plates and went to the sink to start washing up. It seemed fair considering the effort Keith had put into cooking. He was glad that he could at least do something to contribute - Shiro had never been one for sitting back and letting others do all the work.

With the dishes done the two men had a couple of minutes to let their breakfast slide down before leaving the trailer, and Shiro gave Keith a shy but loving kiss on the lips before they stepped out. He wanted to let Keith know how much he already appreciated him, and ensure the younger man never doubted Shiro’s feelings. 

Shiro would do everything in his power to make this relationship work, and ensure Keith was happy.

...

When they arrived together on set, they already got weird looks, but things only escalated when Keith gave Shiro a kiss of his own before getting pulled to makeup. While everyone was gasping for breath, stunned at this new development, it was Lance who saw the few hickies poking out from the neckline of Shiro's undersuit. 

"Oh my god." He whispered,teetering between denial, excitement, and regret. 

"Shiro!! What is going on?" Allura demanded with an excited giggle. The rest of the crew -- even Coran -- all seemed determined to find out. Only, Shiro was being called to his own makeup man to get ready. 

He could either spill the beans or run to his safety net, it was up to Shiro. But Keith had made it pretty clear he didn't intend to hide anything. 

“Well, I uh…” Shiro was not used to being the centre of attention like this. He felt like one of those anime characters who would always get into a fluster and then shout for the main character to come save them - only in this case Keith was now otherwise preoccupied and had thus left Shiro to fend for himself.

With his hands held up in front of him in a placating manner he looked between the other cast members and blushed like a schoolgirl. It was adorable really how such a strong and powerful man could turn so timid just because people were suddenly taking an interest in his new love life.

A love life he’d never thought he’d have…

“Keith and I… We kinda got together last night after you all went out. Well, not kinda, I mean properly. We’re boyfriends now, so…” He hesitated. Would they think he might not take the filming seriously now that he and Keith were an item? What could he say to convince them that wouldn’t be the case?

“I promise I won’t let it affect my performance, if that’s what you’re worried about. We just make each other happy and there were some feelings still there from our time on Avatar. So, uh… Is that okay?”

"You don't have to ask our approval for this, Shiro!" Allura smiled, reaching over and squeezing Shiro's hand in reassurance. "This is wonderful news -- please accept my congratulations for the both of you!" 

"Yeah, that's awesome." Hunk grinned before slapping Shiro companionably on the back. "We'll keep this between friends, though, the press will go crazy once this gets out." 

Which was a correct assumption for Hunk to make -- this would be the story of the season, maybe even longer if things worked out in the long term. "Only a messy breakup would affect your work, so try to avoid that." Pidge said as she came back from makeup. "Anyway, you're holding up the line. Go get suited up, Black Paladin." 

Shiro blinked, dipped his head in a low nod and quickly made his escape. It was nice to know the others were understanding and supportive of him and Keith, though Shiro would be the first to admit he wouldn’t have changed or stopped the relationship if anyone had disapproved.

He was entitled to some happiness in his life and Keith made him happy. He was the breath of fresh air Shiro had needed to feel any form of self worth again.

He got to his makeup artist and sat down in the chair in front of the mirror. Almost instantly he spotted one of Keith’s hickies peeking out over the top of his collar and quickly tried to pull it higher. The fabric was not very accommodating and refused to stay in place, which only made Shiro blush more as he tried once again to hide it.

He loved the marks, loved how he’d felt when Keith had given them to him, but maybe next time he’d have to ask his boyfriend not to make them so high up his throat.

"Wow. Someone was eager last night." His makeup artist, Trish, teased. "Roll the fabric down. I have some concealer that'll do the trick." Once Shiro did as directed, she pressed on the cream until the hickies disappeared, with the magic only a professional could manage. 

"Next time, get your boyfriend to put those lower. The neckline is so high already...." But Trish was all smiles and good natured about the situation, thankfully, though her smile only grew when Keith stopped by in his full uniform and ran his knuckles affectionately along Shiro's jaw. 

There was no shame with Keith, obviously. 

Once they were back on the Castle set, it was all business. Besides a few lingering looks between shoots, Keith kept to himself, reciting his lines with a professional quality. He looked really hot in the role of Akira, even if the character was a bit brash and hot headed. 

"How are we supposed to form Voltron?" Akira grumbled from his spot beside the Princess, after all their Lions were assigned. "None of us even know each other, except for myself and Ryou." 

"What? Dude, we were literally all at the Garrison together! I was your rival, remember?" Lance scoffed. An uncomfortable few moments passed as Akira looked even more lost. 

"What are you talking about? I don't know you." Akira crossed his arms, clearly uncomfortable. 

"Well how do you know Ryou then?" Lance demanded with a wave of his hand to their fearless leader. 

Akira paused, looking to Ryou for permission of some kind and then shrugging. "We were ...friends."

Ryou’s gaze lingered on Akira for a moment before turning to the rest of the group. “What’s important right now is that we figure out how to bond with our lions and as a team. As the Princess said, the best way to go about that is through training and exercises.”

“Yeah, but will the evil space aliens really give us time for that?” Hunk’s character asked worriedly. “I mean, they’ve had ten thousand years to get themselves organised, and from what I hear they’re doing a pretty good job of conquering the whole universe. How can we match that?”

“Because it is your destiny,” the Princess responded, her voice unwavering in determination.

Hunk slumped. “Great… I feel loads better.”

“We can do this,” Ryou told them all. “We didn’t come all the way out here just to fail. I know we haven't known each other for very long, but I believe we can form Voltron and make a difference. This war will eventually reach Earth. We’re all that stands in its way.”

Coran popped forward and played with his mustache. “Well said, black paladin. And to help you bond with your lions and gain each other’s trust I’ve developed a special training program just for you. We should begin immediately.”

And there was the reason for such extensive physical training for the actors at the studio. The roles of the paladins were all physically demanding - some more than others - and going into it without any preparation would have been a disaster.

Fortunately today was a relatively easy day with filming mostly dialogue intensive scenes on the Castle set. There were breaks as the production crew made adjustments with sound, lighting and camera shots, and those were always a flurry of activity. The actors would be pulled aside for touch ups with Trish, discussions with the director and going through lines and choreography again.

It was full on, even without the physical exertion of any major action sequences, so by the time lunch came around everyone was starving and ready for a break. As the paladins were allowed to remove their armour to go on break Trish had a quiet word with Shiro, her keen eyes having picked up on something during filming that no one else seemed to have noticed. The director came over and the three had a brief discussion, before Shiro nodded sheepishly and Trish headed off with his chest plate and right arm guards.

Shiro pulled his loose clothes back on over the undersuit and approached Keith. “Want to eat outside?” he asked his boyfriend - he still couldn’t believe his luck with that - and gestured to the sun coming in through the wide open doors of the studio. After being cooped up all day under hot set lighting Shiro figured it would be nice to get a bit of fresh air. There was a lovely spot of grass on the other side of the car park by the river with some trees that was just begging to be used as a picnic area.

Keith agreed to the idea of eating outside and after they gathered their lunches they headed that way. "The armor feels light at first but after a few hours it really digs in, doesn't it?" Deft fingers opened up his chicken wrap, Keith grumbling all the while. "Maybe I need to continue with my gym regimen." 

But that wasn't his main concern right now. He had seen Shiro get called over by Trish and then eventually the director. Shiro didn't seem upset by whatever they had discussed, but Keith was still curious. "What did Trish want after we finished shooting? Your makeup still looks good, so ..." 

Keith trailed off, suddenly unsure if Shiro would even tell him. Which he didn't have to, but it would bother Keith for the remainder of the day. He took a bite of his food in case it really did turn out to be none of his business. 

“Oh, that?” Shiro smiled sheepishly. “She noticed I was holding my right arm slightly awkward so she wanted to ask about that. I thought I was hiding it quite well but she obviously saw right through me.” His left hand moved and rubbed at his right bicep, where his prosthetic joined his stump.

“About an hour in it started to rub and then it got really tender. My arm is always sensitive to any irritations because of all the nerve damage, so she’s going to try and modify the armor over lunch and try to get rid of the problem.”

He felt bad that Trish had to work during her lunch break, considering how busy the woman already was with her joint responsibilities in costume and makeup, but she had assured him it wasn’t a problem and had gone off with a smile.

“The director came over to check if everything was okay. I apologized for causing a problem but he said not to worry about it. That’s easier said than done though.”

"Oh. Simple enough, yeah? If it gets fixed then it wont continue to be an issue." Keith frowned at Shiro's guilty expression. "Making sure you can do your job is what their job is, Shiro. If she wants to spend her break on it, that's her decision.  You're not a martyr, Shiro. Don't fall into that." Keith cracked open his bottle of water and took a drink, sighing with satisfaction when the cool water slid down. 

"It's you and me alone in the field for another half hour." Keith said after a moment, a gleam in his pretty violet eyes. "Need a distraction?"

Shiro looked round at him and then swallowed his mouthful of wrap. His eyes shone with curiosity, but also wondered as he took in the visage of Keith sitting beside him. The breeze playing with his hair, the sun on his skin, the way his clothes clung to him so perfectly.

How the hell had he been so lucky to earn the affection of someone so gorgeous?

“Sure,” he replied, hoping Keith didn’t notice him staring. “You want to go for a walk or do something?” He felt that was a good question, since he had absolutely no clue what Keith was suggesting.

Keith rolled his shoulders in a lazy shrug. "Sure. We could do that, if you want. I was thinking more along the lines of rolling around in the grass and making out, though." They were far away enough from the studio for Keith to feel confident they could get away with it, obvious in his easy smile. 

Because let's face it; Keith would spend all his breaks on Shiro if he could. Mindful Shiro still hasn't said yes, Keith kept his approach slow, giving his boyfriend time to push away before closing the distance between them with a sugar sweet kiss. 

They hadn't had nearly enough time kissing last night and Keith was eager to fix that, keeping his lips moving slow and sucking hard on Shiro's bottom lip when he got the chance. Just like before, carnal thoughts jumped to mind, but Keith knew better than to push for that. 

So he cupped Shiro's face and kissed him, again and again, until he was in the man's lap warm and eager. 

The gentle advances allowed Shiro time to feel completely relaxed, and he followed Keith’s lead without hesitation. When was the last time he’d been able to do something like this? Probably not since he’d been a teenager, dumb and care free. Being out in the big bad world had shaped him since then, taught him harsh lessons and dealt him painful blows. 

That all fell away when he kissed Keith, ran his fingers through his hair and hummed gently into his mouth. That someone as gorgeous as Keith was, who could have had anyone he desired, had chosen him was mind boggling and this new relationship had given Shiro a reason to smile again.

So of course he was more than happy to spend the remainder of their lunch making out, Keith in his lap and Shiro’s large hands gently roaming over his back and thighs - best to keep things relatively innocent while they were technically out in public.

Keith was so keyed up that even that was enough to excite him, and he found himself glad that the sweatpants he had put on covered him up just enough. He laughed, slightly embarrassed, when their time was up and they had to get back to set. "I'm so lucky." 

Because as much as Shiro thought he was lucky, so did Keith, in a circle of appreciation they had somehow managed to create. So when Keith tugged Shiro to his feet and kissed him gently, it was an action of love. 

They returned to set and got back to work, shooting a few more scenes that would take place in the Castle. It was hard to act when all they saw was green screen, but they were professional actors for a reason. Though the tech crew had managed to rig a real hologram star map, so that was cool to mess with as they waited between queues. 

The shoot was going along swimmingly until the final scene. Everyone was tired and ready for dinner, but their acting didn't suffer for it. The issue was that Keith was selling his line a little too well.

"Keith! You look like you're professing your undying love, not telling Ryou goodnight. We need you to tone it back just a touch." The director called. 

Keith cleared his throat, embarrassed to be called out like that, and turned his attention to Shiro again. Right. This was simple. 

Doing his best to look like a good friend, Akira said, "until tomorrow...Black Paladin." Which inherently wasn't a sexy line but God did Keith make it sound filthy, enough that even he was wincing at the end of it. "Sorry! Sorry, one last take I promise."

"C'mon Keith!" The director groaned, flopping in his chair. 

"Until tomorrow," Akira murmured, eyes upcast and full of admiration, "Black Paladin." 

It was still way too sexually charged but it would do for now. The director called a good day and they all broke for the night, talking as they headed back to their trailers. "Shipping wars~" Hunk teased as he slipped past. 

“Now your face matches your armor, Mr Red Paladin,” Lance smirked, and he gave Keith a slap on the back as he walked by. “You kids have fun tonight.”

“You know that could be considered sexual harassment, right?” Pidge pointed out bluntly to Lance, clearly siding with Keith on this one. “Hardly Keith’s fault the writers gave him dialogue full of double entendres?”

Lance blinked. “Double what?”

Pidge rolled his eyes. “I’ll tell you when you’re older.”

Hunk and Allura laughed with Lance as the butt of the joke, and that in turn took attention away from Keith. Shiro approached his boyfriend and nudged him gently in the shoulder, a faint dusting of pink on his own cheeks.

“Glad we’ve got that scene out the way for now,” he commented. “Sure, you’re the one who had to keep saying that line, but I was the one it was directed at.” Another gentle nudge, this time a bit more playful as Shiro sent Keith one of his charming smiles. “You almost made me break character.”

Keith's heart gave a little flip at that, warm pleasantly by Shiro's confession. So it had affected him too? "Sorry. I really didn't mean to keep it so... Charged." But as the day had gone on, it was hard not to think of getting Shiro alone and kissing him -- making Keith pour way too much longing into his lines. 

It wasn't professional. Keith would try harder in the future. 

But Pidge was right -- there were a lot of lines Keith had that were not only directed at Shiro, but were double entendres. He didn't realize he liked saying 'yes sir' until the script requested it. "We're done at least. What do you want for dinner?"

“Hmm, I don’t have all that much left in the trailer,” he murmured, suddenly realising he’d need to make a run to the shops at some point soon. “I’m up for anything. We can either scrape something together, get take away or maybe go out for a meal?”

Was that appropriate? Was it okay to go out on an obvious date so soon? Shiro didn’t think Keith would mind, but he wasn’t about to push for anything. If a quiet night in the trailer with leftovers and a move or more games was what Keith wanted then Shiro was already totally invested in that idea. Any night spent with Keith was Shiro’s idea of heaven.

He blushed a little. “I say we, but if there’s any cooking going on in the trailer it’ll probably have to be you. I can help where needed, but I don’t want to risk poisoning you.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “The director would probably shout at me if you had to miss filming because you were ill.”

"I can see you actively thinking yourself through this." Keith grinned, teasing as he gently took Shiro's hand. Shiro was the kind of man to overthink most things, he was starting to realize -- which was cute, yeah, but could also spell out trouble if Keith didn't soothe any worries fast enough. "I wanna take you out on the town, Shirogane. Let's go out for dinner." 

It sounded easy enough to him. Shiro could drive, Keith would pay for the food, and it would wind up as a nice first official date. Even if they hadn't started off terribly traditionally, Keith wasn't worried about that -- he wouldn't change a factor of it for anything. 

"If you don't have any preference, my vote is for the Thai place I spotted while we went and got groceries. It looked well-loved by the town and that normally means it's got good, clean food." Keith was honestly surprised this little town had anything that ethnic, but for the moment he was glad for it. The set was ruining his love for wraps.

Shiro was grinning straight away. “Thai sounds amazing. I can’t remember the last time I had it.” His hand squeezed Keith’s and together they left the set for the changing rooms. Once they got out of their costumes they made the trip back to Shiro’s trailer and he let Keith use the shower first - there seemed to be a silent agreement between them that it was still a bit soon to consider showering together. 

Shiro made a reservation at the restaurant while Keith got cleaned up, and he could barely consider his nervous excitement as he then got himself ready for his first proper date in a long time. He felt like a teenager all over again. 

When both Keith and Shiro were toweled off and ready to head into town, Keith finally experienced his first nervous butterflies. Which was -- it was dumb, right? Because this had been five years in the making and nothing like a mediocre date would ruin all of that buildup. Even his pessimistic attitude wouldn't allow Keith to believe something like that. 

Just in case, though, he held Shiro's free hand on the drive down. 

They followed Keith's haphazard directions to the restaurant and arrived a little late, but none the worse for it. It was a cute little place -- same tacky decorations every Thai place seemed to have, but that was expected in this small town. Their server was nice, though, and Keith noted that she seemed to not recognize them either. Small blessings. 

"The Green Chicken Curry looks good." Keith rubbed his thumb over the sticky lamented menu and glanced up at Shiro, handsome, perfect Shiro. God, this was really a date. "Uh, what looks good to you?"

Shiro was studying the menu intently until Keith spoke, then looked up and sent him a warm smile, gentle and perfectly content. Then it turned cheeky and he nipped at his lower lip. “Am I allowed to say you do?” he asked, totally in love with Keith’s outfit and the way he’d tied his hair back in a ponytail with his bangs hanging free to frame his face like they always did.

It wasn’t a lie. Keith did look good, hot actually, even though they’d kept things casual and comfortable in the wardrobe department. Then again, Shiro suspected Keith would always look good no matter what he chose to wear.

Keith looked down at himself and blushed, wanting to hide his face in his menu all a sudden. "It's just a t-shirt." As if Keith hadn't purposefully pulled out the tightest shirt he had packed for this date especially ... "You look nice too, Shiro." 

That always went without saying though. 

With a blush creeping its way across his face Shiro hid his grin behind his menu. “I think I’ll go with Guay Teow? Noodle soup with beef - so much easier to say. I’ve never tried it but I like the sound of it and it’s got meat so it can’t go wrong in my book.”

"Noodles and beef sound good. If you don't like yours we can always switch too." Keith plucked at Shiro's menu until he glanced up, just to have that smile directed at him like it belonged. "You ready then?" 

They called over the waitress and put in their orders, the table cleared of all bulky menus leaving no room to hide. Keith glanced around before looking at Shiro. "You know ... I can't remember the last date I went on, much less any I was genuinely excited about. They were always set up by my sister."

Shiro recalled Keith mentioning in the past that he had a sister, but Shiro had never had the privilege to meet her and he honestly couldn’t remember her name for the life of him. “I’m more than a little out of practice myself,” he admitted. “It’s probably a good thing we didn’t plan this until after we’d finished for the day, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to get out a single line.”

His foot gently nudged against one of Keith’s under the table and the older man’s smile brightened even further when he saw Keith blush again. “I’m excited, so I hope you are too. And you’ll be able to tell your sister you don’t need her to play matchmaker for you anymore. At least, I hope that’s the case.”

Keith snorted lovingly at Shiro's tease, cheeks a bright red though he was just delighted. "I'm having fun -- don't spoil the mood." Even if Keith's smile said it was anything but. "I told her that from day one but she's got shared blood. Nothing will stop her."

"Except maybe this news." He motioned to the two of them with his spoon. His sister, much like his mother, was a big fan of Shiro the Hero. She'd probably scream into the phone once Keith passed on the good gospel. "So let's ride out her future well wishes as long as we can." 

Keith took a moment to drink his Coke, fingers playing along the condensation of the glass as he gave Shiro another look over. It was still hard to believe he was excited over someone like Keith. He felt all the gooier inside because of it. "Which reminds me ... Should I tell my mom before she gets into town or do you think we should make it a surprise?"

Shiro hummed and sipped on his ice tea, taking the opportunity to look away from Keith before he started blushing like a fourteen year old girl again - Keith did things to him with that beautiful smile and his bright eyes that Shiro was still having trouble understanding. This new development between them was so exciting and fresh. He wanted to commit every moment and every feeling to memory.

“I think it might be quite fun to surprise her,” he replied, setting his drink back down. The table they were at was fairly narrow and Keith’s hand was still lingering on his own glass, so it didn’t take much for Shiro to reach across and brush his pinky finger over a couple of knuckles. Such an innocent gesture packed full with meaning, subtle and affectionate but also thrilling.

"Okay, yeah. We can surprise her then." Keith couldn't stop grinning -- he felt his jaw start to ache with the long lasting life it now held. But it was hard not to smile in Shiro's presence, hard not to love every second of their time together. All the more when Shiro touched his hand. 

Keith took it a step further and laced their fingers together, self conscious only of the condensation he had forgotten to wipe off of his palm. It was a little wet, and Keith laughed nervously at it, but they were pulled apart anyway when the first appetizers came out. 

It was just a plate of steamed buns -- nothing too fancy. But Keith was suddenly struck by the thought of feeding Shiro one with his chopsticks and nearly died on the spot, then and there. He wasn't good enough with chopsticks to feed himself, much less try for a romantic gesture. "Eat up. There's plenty to share."

With a smile and a quiet murmur of thanks in his native tongue Shiro took up his chopsticks and helped himself to a couple of steamed buns. He used his right hand which seemed to be his dominant even as a prosthetic - the movement and dexterity of his fingers showing his mastery of the replacement limb.

It was quite a sight to behold, even in such a small gesture that most people took for granted without even realizing. Shiro had clearly decided that being an amputee would not become what defined him in life. In fact the only thing that gave away he even had a prosthetic was the color of it. Sleek silver alloy and black mesh fiber on his elbow and hand instead of the more common skin colored plastic.

In a strange way it actually suited him.

“These are good,” he said after finishing one of the steamed buns, then paused as he realized Keith was still trying to get some onto his own plate. “Use a fork if you need to, no one will judge you, Keith. Chopsticks aren’t for everyone.”

Even as Shiro assured Keith no one would judge him for swapping to a fork, Keith flushed red with the unspoken challenge. "No, I can get it." He insisted, more embarrassed than angry as he stabbed the bun in half. The contents spilled out against the plate in a mess of green and pastry white, now impossible to scoop up in any kind of professional manner. 

With one last glance up to Shiro to assure himself that this wouldn't be embarrassing, Keith opted for the fork. "This is just further proof I need to go home more. My mom would kill me if she saw me struggling like this." He tried to veer away from the embarrassing topic by bringing up their show, instead. 

When enough time passed, their main courses came out, and talk was easy by that point. There was a lot to catch up between the two of them, and Keith was proud of himself for not devolving into a stuttering idiot. The food was good, the company better, and it wasn't long before they had sat at their table for longer than polite. 

Keith waved over to pay for the check and seemed impressed when it was pressed into his hand. Before he knew what he was saying, Keith grinned and looked up to Shiro. "Our waitress chose me to pay, so she's decided I'm the top."

Shiro actually felt his blush creep up from his neck and into his face, the restaurant suddenly feeling a lot warmer than it had been the whole evening. He hid his shy smile behind his hand and nipped at his lower lip to stop himself from saying anything embarrassing. 

He still couldn’t believe his luck with Keith being so accepting of his preference in the bedroom, even though they hadn’t actually got right to it yet. Damn, he was lucky. The mere thought of the man currently sat across from him being the one in control, hovering over him as they heaved against one another while Shiro cried out his name- -

Whoa, steady on there, brain.  _ Stop it _ . Now was not the time.

He settled for a soft chuckle and shook his head in amusement, a relatively safe gesture that the waitress could choose to read however she wished. Shiro didn’t really care about the thoughts of others towards him and his sexuality or preferences, but he would need time to settle into the relationship before he could talk about anything bedroom related without either getting adorably flustered or giddy with happiness.

He was such a disaster for Keith and he loved it.

Shiro didn't seem too horrified by Keith's slip up, so he bit off the apology bubbling in his chest. Keith relaxed at Shiro's answering chuckle, grinning back as he paid for their meal with smooth confidence. The food actually didn't ring up too terrible a bill, and it had been good -- they'd have to come by again sometime. 

Once he got his card back and signed off, they were free to go and do as they wished. Keith led Shiro from the restaurant hand-in-hand into the cool night air that slapped up against them as soon as the door opened. "Wow. Temp dropped." Tugging Shiro a wee bit closer into his warm embrace, Keith set them towards the parking lot where Shiro's car sat. They still had work in the morning so they couldn't do anything too crazy, as much as Keith wanted to go run through town and see what was interesting. 

"That was fun. I had fun." Keith grinned as he leaned up against the passenger side door, long legs kicked out and his hand still holding Shiro's. He looked like a vision in the faded parking lot lights, washed in soft white with eyes trained on Shiro. "C'mere so I can kiss you."

All too happy to oblige, Shiro stepped into Keith’s personal space. He leaned one arm casually against the roof of his truck behind Keith’s head and then met his boyfriend’s lips with his own. His white bangs hung down between their faces and tangled with Keith’s own hair as the couple stood there, uncaring about anyone who may see them as they shared another perfect moment together.

Shiro could get used to this, being able to kiss Keith whenever he wanted to, and knowing that Keith felt the same way. And to think he’d almost considered not taking on the role in Voltron - thank whatever higher powers there were that he hadn’t gone down that path instead of this one. It may have been pure chance that they’d met again, but as Shiro kissed Keith and rested his other hand on the shorter man’s hip, he realised that everything he’d gone through had been worth it to get to this point.

Another cool gust of wind brushed past them and tousled their hair, catching Shiro down the back of his neck until he gave a slight shiver. He broke their kiss and stared into Keith’s amazing eyes, happiness bubbling up inside of him.

“Ready to head back?” he asked. “I’ll openly admit right now that I’m a wuss when it gets cold.”

Keith was lost to the kiss, dreamy eyed when Shiro finally pulled back. He had Shiro to block out the cold, so maybe it was reasonable that he didn't notice the stronger breezes coming in, but that didn't excuse him for forgetting they were making out in a parking lot like two teens. "Right! Sure." Keith stuttered, blushing as he kissed Shiro's cheek and turned to get into his truck. 

He felt a little embarrassed to so obviously be affected by the duration of their kissing, so Keith tried to hide it by rubbing away the red of his cheeks in the time it took Shiro to walk to the driver's side and get in. 

When Shiro was in and the car started, Keith reached over to turn on the radio, if just to have some background noise for the drive back. He felt like he should say something when in reality all he wanted to do was reach over and -- 

Keith turned out the window, cheeks burning, and let them fall into companionable silence.

It wasn’t a long drive back to the studio, but they got stuck behind some slow moving vehicles so it took a little longer than expected. Shiro didn’t mind though. Even without conversation he loved being in Keith’s company and was still riding the highs of excitement at their first official date - which had been perfect. 

Again he counted his blessings. 

When they did arrive Shiro parked in his usual spot beside Pidge’s tiny green bug and switched off the engine. As the low rumbling fell silent Shiro turned to look at his boyfriend. Keith was still facing the window, and from the angle Shiro couldn’t see if his eyes were open or not. 

He smiled, feeling a warmth in his chest. “You’re not asleep there are you?” He asked quietly, keeping his voice low in case that was the case. It had been a long day after all.

"No! No." Keith startled from his place against the window and laughed nervously. He hadn't meant to make Shiro bored during their drive back, just wanting for a bit of time to sort through his thoughts. After all, Keith was now in a delicate situation. 

He knew without a doubt that his trailer was still gross, but didn't want to force himself into Shiro's trailer again. And though he had been agonizing over his decision the entire ride home, it was once he saw Shiro's easy smile that Keith realized it was his turn to be over thinking something so simple. 

Keith returned the smile after a moment, turning away only to unbuckle himself from his seat. "Are you tired?" He asked after opening the car door.

“A little,” Shiro admitted as they left the car, the lights flashing behind them as it locked. “It’s been a long day.” He gently reached for Keith’s hand with his own. “But it’s been really fun too. Thanks for dinner.”

They were now crossing the car park towards their trailers and Shiro tried not to look towards Keith’s grotty excuse for accommodation. Honestly, he was still mad with the production company for that. How much longer was Keith supposed to wait just to get what everyone else already had?

Not that Shiro was against his boyfriend staying with him - he thoroughly enjoyed Keith’s company - but he understood the need for personal space from time to time. Keith may not always be comfortable staying with him considering they’d only just got together. The offer still stood though. Maybe he should remind Keith of that.

“Do you want to grab some more stuff and bring it over? I can make some space available for you to keep anything so it’s not just in a bag.”

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Keith fished his keys from his jacket and held them up, triumphant, before hurrying off to his trailer to throw a few things together. Another change of clothes, his own body wash, his reading tablet... There wasn't much else he needed, honestly, since Shiro was willing to share most everything. But Keith grabbed a spare pillow and towel too just in case. 

When he walked over to Shiro's trailer, he greeted Shiro with a kiss and started to set up on the couch. They were still early into their relationship, after all, and Keith didn't want to presume anything. 

Waking up to Shiro crushed into him by the small space available on the couch was one thing. Rolling over to see his sleep-soft expression, coupled with that cute smile, would maybe be too much for Keith to handle. 

Not that Keith couldn't control himself, but why make anything more difficult? Satisfied with his new outfitted 'bed', Keith went looking for wherever he had packed away his toothbrush. "I'm really sorry to crash into your space like this."

Shiro waved the comment off and shook his head. “You’re not, I promise. I’m the one who made the offer for you to stay anyway.”

The smile was easy on his lips. He meant every word. Keith was welcome to stop over at his trailer any time he wanted, even after he finally got his own proper one. Until that happened Shiro didn’t like the idea of his new boyfriend sleeping in a damp and possibly mouldy caravan where he would probably end up getting sick.

Nope, Keith would always be welcome, and Shiro’s trailer was big enough for them both. He did look to the bed on the couch though, and wonder again if he should offer his bed. How would Keith take that, even if he knew said offer would be completely innocent? Sleeping on a couch night after night couldn’t be good for the back or neck. 

Shiro nipped his lip nervously and shifted his weight. “Are you sure you’re going to be comfortable enough there?” He asked, his body slowly leaning to one side in an open invitation towards his bedroom. Shy but genuine. “I mean, if you want... There’s space...”

Keith glanced up at Shiro's soft invitation, dark bangs blessedly hiding his complete surprise. Of all people to offer, he hadn't expected that from Shiro. Not so soon. "Um." Keith faltered with the suddenness of it, glancing back down at his packed bag to buy time. Was there a good way to put this?

"Maybe not. Yet?" Keith tried, his gaze back to Shiro. He tried his best to look willing, hell, even restrained as he thought of what to say. "I want to, Shiro, I promise. Someday. But for now I think maybe this bit of separation is best." Was that okay? Hopefully that conveyed what Keith wanted well enough because the blush coloring his cheeks was choking him up with embarrassment. 

"If you want to stay, you know, PG." Keith hated these words tumbling from him, wishing he knew better how to express his concerns. "Not that I'll do anything, I just -- fuck, I don't know how to -- please tell me you get what I'm trying to say." He trailed off, with a bit of a whine.

In hindsight Shiro realized it had been unfair of him to put Keith in that position, so he wasn’t surprised when the offer was turned down. “Don’t worry, I understand,” he said, voice calm and soft. 

Not wanting to leave an awkward atmosphere hanging between them overnight, Shiro approached Keith and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. When he withdrew he made sure to smile, tender and sweet in the hopes of putting Keith at ease, and stepped back. 

Keith was right. They both still needed a bit of space.

“Sleep well, and thank you for a lovely evening.” He filled a glass with water at the kitchen area and then padded through to his room. The door closed with a soft click and Shiro left Keith to settle for the night, hopeful that he’d handled the situation in an acceptable manner.

Keith let out a small breath of relief only when Shiro left, and even then it didn't really hit until he had turned the lights off and crawled under his provided blanket. It seemed Shiro got what he had struggled to communicate, and they were the better for it. 

It did leave Keith wondering when he would be able to do more than just kiss his boyfriend. 

He drifted to sleep by running over his lines for tomorrow's shoot, snoring softly in no time at all.


	5. Chapter 5

Shiro woke with a sharp gasp and what felt like a cold vice gripping around his heart. His eyes darted wildly around the darkness that hung over him, empty and silent, until it was too much for him to handle and he just had to move. 

Legs kicked and his left arm flung the covers back, then he was upright and pawing blindly at his nightstand for his touch lamp. He found it after a few frantic pats, but as he pulled his hand away it caught the glass of water he’d placed there only a few hours earlier and toppled it over the edge.

Shiro cursed and fumbled to catch it, but ultimately failed and the glass landed on the floor rug with a loud ‘thunk’. Fortunately it didn’t break, but the water sloshed out everywhere as the glass rolled away until the wall stopped it. The water quickly soaked into the rug. 

Shiro stared at it for a long moment. His brain was still partially caught up in the lingering fear from another terribly vivid nightmare - though did it really count as a nightmare since it was one hundred percent real? A memory. A very dark place he still struggled to think about, not just a figment of his imagination.

His brain was quick to drag him back into that darkness and a choked sound left his throat, eyes welled up and fingers ghosted over the edge of his prosthetic where scarred flesh met cold, unfeeling metal. The accident, the pain, the white hot agony and loss. All those emotions came flooding back to him in a heartbeat, relentless and cruel as the ache he now felt in the arm he had long since lost.

Crying would do nothing, yet cry he did. Alone in the yellow glow of his lamp he hunched over and tugged his prosthetic against his chest, praying that this reality was actually the nightmare and not the truth. He always thought he was dealing well with the trauma, had everything under control and was rebuilding his life. But every time he started to relax the nightmares would return, and with them came more of the upsetting memories that only added to his misery. 

His terrible break up with Adam, the loss of Yuki, having to learn to live as an amputee with no one to turn to for help. No one to hold him while he cried. No one who really cared.

It had been a while since he’d had an episode this distressing. Tonight was definitely a bad one and it left him struggling to breathe while he wept. In a moment of pure rage he swiped the sodden rug up off the floor and tossed it across the room. It hit his wardrobe with a heavy bang and then Shiro pushed his fingers into his hair and hunched in on himself.

“Stop it, stop it, stop it,” he pleaded with a broken murmur, then bit his lip under he was in danger of making it bleed. He just wanted the pain to stop, his tears to dry. He wanted to feel happy again.

“Yuki...” His call, a desperate plea, went unanswered as it always did these days. The only one who had been able to soothe his aching heart could no longer be by his side and it just made everything worse!

With a wet sniff and a shaky breath Shiro began to sob.

The first drop of the glass wasn’t enough to wake Keith from his warm slumber, but the following panicked thumps and sobbing did. He sat up slow, unable to piece things together until his brain fully woke. Then it clicked, and Keith was moving towards Shiro’s bedroom. 

He didn’t want to barge in — probably the worst thing you could do for someone having an anxiety attack — but it was clear that Shiro was in distress, if not physically hurt as well. He heard the weak call for Yuki and knew he had to act fast. A tentative knock at the door broke through the sound of Shiro’s sobs. “Shiro? It’s Keith. Can I come in?”

Honestly he had no idea if Shiro would let him see him like this but it was worth a shot, and definitely better than calling 911 for help. “It’s just me, Shiro. I just want to make sure you’re okay. Will you please open the door?”

Keith’s voice slowly reached Shiro’s ears over his crying and he quietened down. The ache of his arm was still there, as was the sting of his red eyes and the pain he felt in his heart, all hauntingly familiar to him. But hearing the voice of another at the door was new. That had never happened before. Shiro was always alone. Ever since his beloved Yuki...

Until now.

Keith... His new boyfriend, sleeping on the couch. He’d completely forgotten Keith was there.

Shiro swallowed a sob and glanced over his shoulder, nervous and hesitant. The door to his room had a lock on it but he’d never bothered to use it, and Keith was respecting his privacy enough to not come rushing in uninvited. But Shiro didn’t feel like he had the energy to go to the door. He didn’t have the energy for anything. Lungs still tight and a headache coming on from his crying, he had no strength to draw upon.

He was exhausted, with nothing left to give. Did Keith really want all this hassle to deal with? He deserved better. Shiro whimpered as more tears fell.

“Keith...” he murmured. “I... Please...”

The soft whisper of his name was enough. Keith propped open the door slow, peeking inside to see the heart-breaking scene laid out before him. It must have been a hell of a nightmare. Keith closed the door behind him and knelt by the bed, one hand on Shiro's knee. 

He wasn't trained for talking someone down after an episode, but a bit of patience and kindness went a long way in any situation. "Shiro..." With a nod for permission, Keith crawled on the bed with Shiro and wrapped him in a hug, making sure not to accidentally smother him in the process. He smoothed his hand up and down Shiro's back, waiting for the tears to end.

Shiro was so tense at first when Keith touched him that he was probably going to have more than a few sore muscles in the morning, everything pulled so tight he was trembling. More treacherous sounds left his lips as the pain and anger tore up through his throat, raw and desperate. His tears were impossible to stop, so all he could do was let them run their course. As a result it was several minutes before he fully realised he was no longer alone.

It was the warmth that reached him first. Warmth not lingering on his bedsheets from his own body, but that of another. Another who had come to his aid, after months and months, years in fact, of loneliness where he’d been forced to face the darkness of his trauma without another to offer comfort.

But tonight someone had finally answered his desperate pleas, and Shiro’s sluggish brain slowly worked out who it was.

Keith… Of course it was Keith. Shiro had heard his voice calling his name, but everything had been so muddled up in his own head that he hadn’t been able to make sense of it all. What was real and what was wishful thinking. But this was definitely Keith.

Keith’s arms around him, strong and secure but also gentle. Keith’s hand running over his back to calm him down. Keith’s soft hair tickling his ear as Shiro pressed his face into the younger man’s shoulder. Keith’s voice whispering Shiro’s name.

He clung to that warmth and presence for all he was worth, his left hand pulling creases through Keith’s shirt as he balled his hand into a fist over the other’s heart. His right arm remained tucked up safely against Shiro’s own chest, now held secure between them both, and he felt so small and vulnerable despite his physically larger size.

He cried for what felt like an eternity, all the pent up emotions and stress pouring out of him like a raging torrent that left Keith’s shirt wet and Shiro’s head aching. And when he finally did start to calm down he leaned into Keith’s body all the more, wrung out and totally spent.

The pain and fear slowly lifted and allowed his mind to clear, still sluggish with fatigue but aware enough to realise what had happened. At some point they’d both ended up lying down across the bed, and Shiro was tucked in snuggly against his boyfriend’s body. Keith’s scent, mixed with the lingering aroma of his shampoo and free of the smoke smell he’d lost over the past few days, filled Shiro’s nose and lungs.

Maybe it was just the knowledge that Keith had come to his aid, but Shiro suddenly felt like he could breathe again after months of nearly suffocating. He felt like he’d just been saved.

A slightly painful swallow from his dry throat and his lips parted. “Keith…” His boyfriend’s name came out rough, his vocal cords raw and voice weak. Shiro wet his lips and tried again. “Keith?”

Seeing Shiro like this was heartbreaking. Never in his life did Keith think he would see such a strong, kind man reduced to tears. He wasn't even sure if Shiro knew who held him, who comforted him through his despair -- but so long as it was a comfort, Keith wouldn't change anything. 

Eventually Shiro calmed enough for Keith to settle him down on the mattress and the difference in his tense body language was immediate. It might have been from having Keith present, but he wasn't so egotistical to ignore the effect of a soft resting place. 

When he grew quiet, Keith still did not press him for information. He was content to hold him in the midnight silence. Did anyone know that the nightmares that plagued Shiro were this bad? Was this common? Keith ached with a need to help his boyfriend, but he felt useless for his lack of knowledge. 

Keith was still contemplating what more he could do to help when he heard Shiro whisper his name. His eyes widened briefly with surprise -- so Shiro had known it was him, after all -- and pulled away just to get a look at him. God, Shiro looked wrecked and Keith wanted to cry on his behalf. "I'm here, Shiro. I've got you."

The older man let out a weak sigh as more tension bled from him. He slowly released Keith’s shirt from his death grip and tried to wipe at his bloodshot eyes. There was a significant wet patch on the shirt from where his face had been pressed, but Keith hadn’t recoiled and for that Shiro was immensely grateful. 

It felt amazing to be held like this. To know someone was there for him. He swallowed against the dryness in his throat and tried to ease his breathing. “Thank you…” his whisper was tiny and heartfelt. “Keith, thank you…”

He sniffed and had another rub at his red rimmed eyes - damn, he must look hideous after crying for so long. His head was pounding too. “Sorry you saw that.”

Keith looked ready to protest Shiro's embarrassment, but he paused, collected himself, and pressed a kiss to his temple instead. "Always." With Shiro's permission, Keith grabbed him a glass of water from the adjoining bedroom and watched as Shiro guzzled it down. That would help a bit with the dehydration and additionally give him another moment to compose himself. 

By the time Keith took the empty glass and placed it on the bedside table, they were both sitting up in bed again. Keith shot Shiro a small, obviously relieved smile, and took his hand, pressing close once more. "How do you feel?"

Shiro blinked. It had been a long time since someone had asked him that. He wasn’t used to talking about these episodes when they came about, because there had never been anyone to listen or ask the question, so actually putting his feelings into words and articulating them correctly was difficult.

“A bit numb,” he replied quietly. At least his voice felt a little stronger - the water had been a huge help. “When this happens, it always throws me for the day. I’m going to be useless tomorrow on set.” He lifted his prosthetic, stared at it a moment, then pinched the bridge of his nose. 

His left hand remained in Keith’s, giving it a gentle squeeze. Partly in gratitude, and partly to keep himself tethered.

Keith ran his thumb over Shiro's knuckles, soothing in touch. "I'm sure they'll understand. There's scenes we can shoot still." He offered, unsure what would be allowed but hopeful their bosses would be kind. "...is there anything I can do to help?" Honestly he hadn't expected to throw himself into Shiro's room tonight, especially after the clear line he had drawn earlier that evening. 

But if I meant Shiro feeling better, Keith would offer anything. He watched the man struggle for the right words and felt his heart ease just a touch. This was new ground for the both of them, then. "Even just for tonight, Shiro."

Shiro looked round slowly at him, having to blink his white bangs out of his tired eyes. His gaze then dropped to their hands and he watched the movement of Keith’s thumb over his knuckles. 

“Sometimes this goes on all night,” he murmured. “If I go back to sleep too soon...” His eyes nearly welled up again at just the thought of more nightmares. He took another breath and forced himself to calm down. “It takes a while for me to relax again. I’ve tried different things, sometimes hot chocolate works, or I have an app on my phone I listen to.”

He shivered suddenly, feeling a chill now that the cold sweat of fear had faded. He sniffed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

Hot chocolate? Keith could do that easily enough. He perked up, offering just a small smile, and kissed his boyfriend's cheek. "I'll make you some hot chocolate then. Wait for me, okay?" After a moment's hesitation, Keith pressed his lips to Shiro's forehead too before climbing out of bed. 

He stopped in the doorway for just a moment, watching Shiro fondly before heading into the kitchen to work on their drinks. Shiro thankfully had a few instant packages, so it didn't take long at all to brew together. 

Keith added extra marshmallows and whipped cream to Shiro's steaming cup, and caught himself smiling fondly when he thought of how the other man might appreciate the gesture. He took the mugs back to the bedroom and set them down, careful of their warmth. "They're a little hot." 

"Here," Keith motioned to the extra fluffy whipped cream one, "this one is yours."

The sweet aroma of the hot beverages filled the room quickly and Shiro stared at the work of art that Keith had presented him with. Whipped cream and marshmallows?! Wow, Keith knew his way to Shiro’s heart, via his sweet tooth.

He took hold of the mug carefully in his right hand. One benefit of a metal prosthetic was that he didn’t need to worry about getting burned. He managed a weary smile as his boyfriend sat once again beside him. “Thank you. This looks great.” He blew carefully on the mug for a moment and then had a taste, a quiet hum of appreciation leaving him as he found one of the marshmallows. “Tastes even better.”

Seeing Shiro's face light up after having cried through the night made Keith feel better than anything else. He melted against the smile Shiro directed his way, mumbling that he was happy to help. At first he just watched Shiro, then eventually his own mug smelled too good to ignore and Keith took a few sips too. 

It was decent for instant, but Keith could make it better. He promised himself time to do so for Shiro, later, content with the comfortable ease they were enjoying right now. "Next time, I'll put sprinkles too." Keith added with a small smile.

That comment brought some of the spark back into Shiro’s eyes, tired as he was, and he had another sip. “You spoil me,” he said, now cradling the mug in both hands. 

There was just something so comforting about hot chocolate in the evening, the warmth and sweetness drowning out the lingering fear and upset of his nightmares every time. If he was lucky he might even be able to get some sleep now, though he knew he was still going to be wrecked in the morning. Trish was going to have her hands full with his makeup. 

But what had helped most, without a shadow of a doubt, was Keith’s presence. Had it not been for him Shiro would likely have kept screaming and sobbing into his pillow until he’d eventually lost consciousness - it wouldn’t have been the first time. But Keith had been there to save him from that, and the memory of being wrapped in those arms was something Shiro never wanted to forget. He’d felt so safe.

A shy glance in his boyfriend’s direction as they finished their mugs. Could he convince Keith to stay and hold him like that again? He had kind of offered, but Shiro knew Keith wanted to take things slow between them and maintain a bit of distance for the moment. So maybe it wouldn’t be appropriate.

Keith sipped up the last of his hot chocolate with a bit of a grimace, because now he was unsure what to do. Should he offer to stay? Was that too much? Hugging and soothing had helped after the nightmare had woken Shiro, but settling down would be different. Could be, anyway. 

"Finished?" At Shiro's nod, Keith gently took his mug and placed them both on the bedside table to be cleaned in the morning. Only adrenaline had given him enough energy to get up and make the stuff -- he felt the exhaustion deep in his bones now. 

"Would it help if i stayed here for the rest of the night?" Keith offered, his hand back on Shiro's, thumb soothing over the cold prosthetic. "I know I said I wanted space but it -- your comfort takes precedent for tonight." He squeezed gently, eyes imploring. "Whatever you want."

Shiro’s eyes lifted to him and the vulnerability was back. He gave a tiny nod. “Please... Would you hold me again, like you did before?”

He felt silly for asking, since he was a grown man, but he needed the comfort that only physical contact could provide, otherwise he’d never get back to sleep.

“I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable, so you don’t have to if you’d rather we kept a bit of distance.” His gaze dropped away again. “I just- I felt safe when you did that.”

It was an easy answer. Keith smiled as he nodded, suddenly a man of action as he settled Shiro back under the sheets. Keith stripped off his shirt before joining, worrying of overheating them both, and slid into bed behind Shiro to act as the Big Spoon. 

Shiro made it a wee bit difficult, considering his bulk compared to Keith's, but Keith managed to press his cheek between Shiro's shoulder blades and wrapped his hands around Shiro regardless. His body would relax into something more comfortable once they both fell to sleep. "This okay?" Keith asked, his final question before he was going to allow himself to finally pass out.

Shiro gave a very slight nod of his head. “Yeah,” he whispered, slowly relaxing as Keith’s warmth seeped into his body. He did his best to remain still as they settled, thought about holding Keith’s hand before deciding against it, and closed his eyes. A final tear rolled silently across the bridge of his nose, following the line of his scar, this time one of relief at no longer being alone.

He focused on his breathing to keep himself calm, reminded himself that Keith was there if he needed him, and tried not to think of the time. He didn’t know exactly and deliberately hadn’t checked his phone, but it was at least three in the morning and they both had to be up early for another day of shooting. Shiro just knew he was going to screw up tomorrow, so a talk with the director might be a good idea.

For now though he needed to sleep. His brain and body craved it, and his nerves were finally calming down again. It took awhile but eventually he began to drift, with Keith’s reassuring warmth pressed against his back.

Keith drifted off with Shiro, waking only when the shrill scream of his phone alarm in the other room woke him up. Not wanting Shiro to stress, Keith got up and turned it off, then started breakfast for them both. 

He woke Shiro with a kiss on the cheek. "There's food if you're hungry. I'm gonna jump in the shower." Which he did, helping to ease some of the anxiety that had built up from the day before. It felt good to scrub it all away and come out fresh. He peeked his head out into the bedroom to see what Shiro was up to, careful to keep a hand to the towel around his waist.

Shiro was up, but still sat on the edge of his bed. Yuki’s photograph was cradled in his hands, and the scarred man was just carefully placing it back on his nightstand as Keith looked in. When Shiro turned his head he spotted Keith and offered him a small smile, but it was weak. He also had dark smudges under his eyes from the disturbed night, despite managing to get a few hours of peaceful sleep once Keith had joined him.

“Morning.” Again, like the night before, his voice was a bit on the croaky side. “Did you manage to get some sleep?”

It was a question that really should have been directed at Shiro and not Keith, but Shiro didn’t want to think about his own perspective of the eventful evening and he was genuinely concerned that Keith may also be feeling the effects of sleep deprivation.

He didn’t look too bad though from what Shiro could see - in fact that was a complete lie, he looked amazing. All wet from his shower and only wearing a towel around his hips. If Shiro hadn’t been so tired and out of sorts he’d probably have been blushing like mad and openly staring. As it was his admiring of Keith, while still present, was very much muted by sleepy half lidded eyes and a slight pallor to his cheeks. 

"Enough. Nothing that coffee won't fix." Keith answered simply, hoping that was enough to ease Shiro's obvious worry. "I should be asking how much you managed to sleep." He followed up, running a hand down his scruffy jaw. As it was, Shiro really shouldn't be getting up and going to the studio -- this should be a day of rest and relaxation. But somehow Keith knew that Shiro would fight him if he brought it up as a possibility. 

With a lovesick sigh, Keith finally turned away to grab some clothing. There was no thrill from his nakedness that morning -- the mood was subdued and Keith was grateful for it when he dropped his towel and stepped into a pair of briefs. He honestly couldn't remember what scenes they were due to shoot today, so Keith just pulled on a basic t shirt and jeans, fully prepared to get scoffed at by the crew for being ill-dressed for the part. 

Shiro came through and nibbled at the breakfast Keith had prepared, not really in the mood for eating but knowing he had to. He made sure to thank Keith again for his efforts and then disappeared for a quick shower and shave. Once dressed he gave Keith a soft kiss on the cheek, again hoping to show his gratitude despite his somber mood, and together they left the trailer and walked across to the set.

As always the crew were already hard at work, rigging up lighting and making adjustments to the set. Today they would be doing some more shots inside the castle, but with the characters’ civilian clothing instead of the paladin armour. For that Shiro was silently grateful.

“Morning, love birds!” Lance called loudly as he appeared with Hunk and Allura. He was so cheerful that Shiro actually winced, and it only got worse when he saw Lance’s expression completely morph from all smiles to a suspicious smirk. “Wow, looks like someone didn’t get much beauty sleep. Were you up all night doing something naughty?”

It was meant as harmless teasing, a bit of banter that Shiro normally welcomed. Just not today. He didn’t have the energy or the patience to deal with it, but it would have been unfair to snap at Lance when he knew the younger man didn’t mean anything by it. So instead Shiro chose not to respond and instead turned to Keith.

“I’m going to have a quiet word with the director. I’ll see you in makeup?”

“Yeah.” Keith agreed, ready to take the fall with Lance if it meant a bit of peace for Shiro. He gave his boyfriend one last kiss on the cheek before turning to their fellow co workers. “Mornin.” Seeing that Lance was still full on tease mode, Keith just shook his head, a universal ‘knock it off’, and turned to Hunk and Allura instead. 

They talked a bit about their upcoming scene while Shiro went to talk to the director. Keith couldn’t help but feel nervous as he waited, though the casual conversation between friends helped distract him. 

“Think we’ll get green lit to post some of this stuff on Twitter?” Hunk asked, phone in hand. 

“I think so. My last project was all about us talking about the show prior to airing, though it had to remain positive.” Allura shrugged. “As is usually the case, I’m afraid.”

“I hope they don’t expect it. My phone only has Tetris.” Keith frowned when they just stared, then eventually pulled out his ancient fossil of a phone to show them. Lance screamed. 

“Wow.” Pidge had wandered up to join the conversation at some point, though she had yet to join in as she’d been nursing her cup of morning coffee. But at the sight of Keith’s phone which looked like it belonged in the dark ages, the girl adjusted her glasses and finally spoke.

“I’m impressed, Keith. Normally it’s only old grannies who still have phones like that.” She raised an eyebrow at him beneath her bangs. “Are you allergic to smartphones or something?”

“Hey, don’t knock it,” Hunk said, jumping to defend Keith. “Some of those older phones are damn near indestructible. I had one once that survived a cycle through the dishwasher.”

Allura frowned. “Don’t you mean the washing machine?”

“No, no, it really was the dishwasher,” Hunk insisted. “Don’t ask how it got in there, but it’s the honest truth. Got shielded by a pot ‘cause my mom has a habit of overloading it. I couldn’t find my phone, used the house one to call it, and the dishwasher starts ringing.”

“Your disregard for technology is a crime punishable by death in my book,” Pidge grunted, to which Hunk laughed and rubbed at his neck.

“It only happened once, I promise. But seriously, older phones were built a lot hardier than the ones we’ve got nowadays.”

Allura looked back to Keith. “It’s still a surprise. Did you just decide against upgrading?”

"It's not broken, so why should I upgrade?" Keith asked, his expression and tone indicating that he was 100% serious. And with what Hunk said, combined with Keith's 'if it ain't broke, don't fix' mentality, that phone was probably going to get written into the Kogane will. 

"At least you have Tetris on it." Lance conceded, though he didn't look terribly impressed. "I'd feel bad if you didn't have a single game on there. Bad enough that thing can't support apps." 

"It's nice not to be glued to a screen." Though, in all honesty, Keith had been using his phone more in the last week than almost the entirety of his career and that was because of Shiro and his mom. Though Keith would take in-person Shiro time any day. 

There was only one problem with Keith's refusal to upgrade, though; Allura was the first to catch the thread.  
"What are you going to do if the show starts posting promotional media?" She asked. 

It was a decent question, and one Keith hadn't had to worry about as much 5 years ago. But this was a new day and age, and if he didn't have a Twitter or Instagram he was likely to be forgotten. 

"Maybe I'll get a fancy phone, for work." Keith looked skeptical even as he said it. "I might need ya'lls help for that." 

Pidge snapped her fingers and pointed to herself. “I’m your girl. Anything tech related I’m all over it.”

“That why you accepted your role so quickly?” Hunk asked.

“That and because she’s a badass,” Pidge smirked. “Not every day you get the chance to play such an awesome character. Of course I jumped at it.”

They were called for makeup so Lance and Pidge went first. Hunk tagged along to chat with the pair which left Allura and Keith alone. The young woman glanced at him, wavering on whether or not to ask about Shiro. She didn’t want to appear as though she were just fishing for gossip, but Shiro’s sudden disappearance almost as soon as he’d arrived did bring up a few questions.

She really hoped the new couple were okay and hadn’t had a fight, but judging from Keith’s relatively relaxed state Allura was fairly certain it wasn’t that. 

After a moment she decided against asking Keith. If he wanted to talk about anything then it was important that he be the one to bring up the subject. Allura knew when to mind her own business. “I’m quite glad we’re doing more dialogue intense scenes today,” she spoke up. “Yesterday was fun but a lot of hard work physically I felt.”

Keith was still feeling pleasantly warm by Pidge's offer to help when he heard Allura. He turned to her with a questioning look, wondering if she was just bored and wanting to fill the silence. 

Not that Keith could really blame her. 

"Oh, uh, yeah." Smooth. "I always thought I was in pretty good shape but moving around in our armor really does take a lot of stamina. I guess we'll all be better for it by the time this is over." 

Keith remembered Allura's moves from the days past and chuckled, though, saying, "I'm surprised to hear you say that, though. I think you and Shiro are the two most physically ready for this kind of thing, out of all of us." 

"But I'll take the dialogue scenes today for sure, even if I didn't review my lines as much as i wanted last night." Keith could hardly remember them with how tired he was.

"The nice thing about Akira is he doesn't have many lines. He's more action." Keith tilted his head towards Allura. "Unlike our princess. They really make you say all the exposition, huh?"

Allura groaned. “Tell me about it. You know, I’ve actually got to the stage where I’ve rehearsed my lines so much I’m starting to forget them. I had a look through the script last night and I had several of my big speeches completely in the wrong order. I know that doesn’t matter too much with this being film and I can get fed lines and reminded between takes, but my theatre background was recoiling in horror.”

She smiled. “Oh, and you are in very good shape, Keith. Shiro and I have other pursuits that have helped, but you were keeping up with us easily.” She winked at him cheekily. “I think you had several members of the crew drooling over you at some point.”

"What?" Keith blushed at the compliment, wondering if what Allura said was true. He normally didn't worry about that kind of thing but well -- he knew he was attractive to a point. It got him jobs, after all. 

"I... Well." Keith cleared his throat. "Thanks for saying that. I want more practice with the sword but that reassures me. As for drooling..." 

Keith kicked his feet out, a little shy as he wondered if Shiro was one of those crew members who thought he was hot. "I only really wanna impress one guy."

“I’m pretty sure you already have,” the woman commented. She had been a little surprised when Keith and Shiro had got together this early into the production, but they looked so cute and right together that she couldn’t help but smile.

“I think you’re being too modest about your abilities on set, but if you’d like we can always do some extra sparring in the gym. I was told it’ll be left open for us to use whenever we like, so I’ll be taking that offer fairly regularly. You’re more than welcome to join me.”

"I..." Keith blinked, once more surprised by the offer. But he was quick to find his words, saying, "I'd really appreciate that. Thank you, Allura." Maybe he could even get Shiro to join them, and make it a trio. 

He was glad he was called to makeup after that, only because he was awkward and didn't know how to follow up. So Keith left Allura with another soft thanks and went into the makeup room to get the camera ready. 

By the time he was done getting his hair artistically ruffled and his eyeliner perfected, everyone else was already on set ready to shoot. Of course Keith immediately looked for Shiro, wondering how his talk with the director had gone. Maybe he got the morning off?

Shiro was the last to appear, Trish having worked wonders with makeup to hide the bags under his eyes from last night. He looked a lot better, but as was often the case with Shiro, his external appearance was a misleading guise that kept his inner turmoil hidden from the eyes of others.

He wasn’t okay, not really, but he would soldier on and do his best for the director and crew. They were all working hard so they deserved the best performance Shiro could give them as one of their actors. He would just need to dig a little deeper for that talent today.

Keith and Shiro didn’t get much chance to speak before the director met with them all and discussed the scenes they would be doing that day. Some alterations had been made to the call sheet for that morning due to issues with the art department, so a couple of scenes were being swapped out for others. Fortunately the actors were all familiar enough with these particular segments within the script that they didn’t require too much prompting for lines.

Shiro considered himself quite lucky about the whole mix up, because it took some of the attention off him whenever he fluffed a line or missed a cue. Lance had a couple of big muck ups and even Coran needed to look at the script a few times, so Shiro didn’t feel so self conscious whenever he made a mistake himself. Everyone just assumed he was having the same problem as the rest of them, and not that he was fighting a building migraine and just wanted to run away and hide for an hour.

Eventually however, not long before lunch, Shiro’s fragile tether to his self control finally snapped under the strain.

Lance’s character was in a full blown argument with Akira, the two right in each other’s faces as was the norm so early into the production. It was up to Ryou to break them apart and try to talk them down before harsh words could turn into a violent swinging of fists, and when he carefully pointed out the error of their ways, per the script, Lance turned on him.

“You’re hardly perfect, yourself!”

The line was in the script, far from the most dramatic, but Lance brought it to life in his performance and the seething anger his character felt came through in his delivery as he glared at Ryou. Shiro felt the sharpness jolt through him like electricity, triggering an emotional response in him that he didn’t have to act.

He was supposed to hesitate for a moment, crestfallen but not discouraged, and then go on to deliver some inspiring speech to rally the other characters and draw them together as a team.

Instead he felt his eyes begin to sting, and all he could do was look away and awkwardly shift his weight in an attempt to hide his own shaky emotions. The director called cut before the moment became too awkward, and decided they’d break for an early lunch.

No sooner was that call made and Shiro fled, disappearing through the set and out of sight. Lance hesitated. He could sense that something was off but he wasn’t entirely certain why. That last scene had been intense and Shiro sure as hell looked convincing. But the sudden retreat was a bit weird.

“Is he okay?” The question was naturally aimed at Keith who was also still standing on his mark, even though lunch had just been called.

Keith could see the stress eating out Shiro the whole time they were shooting the scenes, but there was little Keith could actually do. Shiro had insisted that he wanted to work through the day after all, so who was Keith to deny him that? Watching him walk away now, Keith wished he had been more persistent about Shiro just taking the day off. 

He looked at Lance and sighed, unsure. Shiro hadn't cried or anything so Keith was willing to let him slink off and compose himself. If he took too much time to return Keith would go looking for him then. 

"I think he just needs some air. C'mon. Let's go get some lunch." Keith shoved his hands in his pockets before following the crowd to the cafeteria. He lost his appetite in line, though, and decided that it would be better spent smoking instead. As much as he knew Shiro would disapprove, he had been itching for a smoke and last night had been rough enough to push him over the edge. 

There was a lot spinning in his head but as Keith pulled his phone out of his pocket and flipped through the photos he had got of Shiro at the Thai place -- with permission, of course -- he couldn't help but feel a little better.

After lunch the actors regrouped in the studio for touch ups, but their black paladin was strangely absent. The director didn’t mention it though, instead deciding that they would spend the rest of the day working on shots and scenes with the characters split up into groups. Akira had several solo shots in his quarters that would work towards his back story later on, so those shots kept Keith busy as they ran through what the crew had planned and then tried making adjustments based on the directors personal input. 

As a result of the work being split up between actors Keith ended up with some free time before he would be needed again, and met Allura in the actors’ tent - their own little retreat and a place to relax while still in the studio waiting to be called upon. 

Allura was sipping on her water bottle and waved as Keith entered. Like him she also had a brief reprieve from set. “How are your scenes going?”

"Allura, hey." Keith felt distracted as he entered the tent, but there was nothing to be done for it -- Shiro was gone and he wasn't answering any of Keith's texts. Maybe he just needed space. Keith bit back a sigh as he sank into his seat across from Allura. 

"My scenes are going okay. Just a lot of deep stares at my knife." That finally pulled a little laugh from Keith. How could you look angstily at a knife? Apparently Keith was doing a well enough job at it. "What about you? I feel like I've been cut off from everyone today."  
Allura pulled a bit of a face. “I’ve never had to interact with a bunch of invisible CGI mice before. I’m afraid I’m failing at it miserably.”

In the last few hours Allura had gained a whole new perspective on acting and a far greater appreciation and respect for actors who worked with green screen on a regular business. It was hard to get into the mindset of a character when their environment and even other characters they interacted with were often not real.

No doubt it would look incredible in post, but right now Allura had been reduced to working with four small green shapes and given the instruction to imagine them moving in a natural way. Would alien mice even move naturally?

She sighed and smiled. “I definitely prefer working with other actors, so I know where you’re coming from. Pidge is also doing green screen with some kind of floating robot. It’s just been one of those days.”

"I'm ready to go do some on-scene shots too." Keith admitted, glad he wasn't the only one finding the green screen intimidating. "I've seen the hoverbikes they have in storage and it's been all I can think about since." 

All too late he realized Allura wouldn't be involved in any of those scenes. He shrugged anyway as he offered, "I'm sure they'd let you ride with me or Shiro if you wanted to. Unless you already know how to drive one?" 

Of course they weren't real hoverbikes -- that technology was still a few years away -- but modified motorcycles. They still looked rad as hell. Keith sat back to listen to Allura when the phone in his pocket went off, with caller ID saying it was his mom. "Oh, sorry, I need to take this." 

By the time Keith reentered the tent, it was time to shoot the last of his scenes for the day. He was glad by the time it was all over -- Shiro's silence had him worried still. With salads in hand from the cafeteria, Keith walked back to Shiro's trailer to check up on him.

The reason for Shiro’s silence became immediately apparent as soon as Keith stepped inside. Shiro was lying on the couch, face nuzzled into a pillow with another held against his chest, breathing soft and deep. His long lashes lay across the tops of his cheeks, the bags under his closed eyes had faded nicely, and he looked perfectly relaxed.

And adorable.

All of Keith’s bedding was neatly folded and placed on one of the seats by the table, replaced with the pillows and a blanket from Shiro’s bedroom. The TV provided some background noise, a space documentary on at low volume. His phone was on the nearby worktop along with a half glass of water and a sachet of painkillers.

Shiro hadn’t been ignoring Keith’s texts - he’d simply fallen asleep and left his phone on silent. Hardly surprising given how tired he’d been all day. The TV had likely been put on as a distraction which had eventually lulled Shiro into sleep, and he’d pulled the blinds down to block out the daylight. A single lamp bathed everything in a soft glow. It was all very peaceful and Shiro slept on, unaware of his boyfriend’s arrival.

Keith had to stop in the doorway, immediately struck by the cute look his boyfriend had. It looked like he had been asleep for some time -- Keith double checked by the counter on the documentary and felt relieved to see it on the 90 minute mark already. Good. Shiro deserved a bit of rest after everything. 

Keith moved around quietly as he set the table for dinner. By the time he was done Shiro had slept another 15, so he felt confident when he bent down to kiss Shiro's cheek tenderly. 

"Sweetheart," Keith said quietly, wondering if Shiro was dead asleep, "dinner's waiting if you want some." 

Of course, Keith was happy to leave Shiro if he wanted to sleep longer.

Shiro’s lashes fluttered open at the soft touch to his cheek, then Keith’s voice registered in his head and he looked up. Seeing Keith hovering over him, thick dark hair framing those gorgeous eyes full of tenderness, filled Shiro’s chest with warmth.

How the hell had he gotten so lucky? 

“Hey,” he greeted, voice and features still soft from sleep. A careful shifting on the sofa and he could see his boyfriend better, no longer half buried in his pillow. “How was your day?”

"Was busy. I'm glad to see you managed to get some sleep." Keith offered Shiro his soft smile before reaching out and brushing his thumb along his hand. "You had me a little worried, since I know last night was rough and I couldn't get a hold of you." 

But he didn't want to make Shiro feel guilty for it -- not when it was so obvious how tired he had been. "I'm just glad to see you rested." After a moment's hesitation, Keith leaned forward and kissed Shiro gently. 

"There's dinner on the table if you're hungry. I need a shower." Keith pulled away after the kiss ended to stand and sigh. He was hungry, but the sweat on his body was too prevalent to ignore.

Shiro watched him go with a quiet murmur of thanks and remained on the couch until he heard the shower running. He felt well rested, if still a little sluggish from his long nap, so he spent a few minutes waking up and flicked through the news feed on his phone. Once his brain was able to process information more easily he got up and made an effort to tidy himself up a bit.

Keith had brought them dinner so Shiro wanted to at least look a little more presentable to show his appreciation. Keith had been nothing but amazing all day with him, respecting his needs to have a bit of time to himself but still showing concern with a silent glance or a soft smile directed his way when they’d been on set.

And the texts, full of genuine concern after Shiro had disappeared. He should probably apologise for that, but it could wait until later. He sent Keith a simple text with a couple of kisses, aware his phone probably wouldn’t recognise or process emojis due to its age, and then sat down to wait at the table.

Salads for dinner were perfect for dinner tonight, simple and light on the stomach but still tasty and filling. Because Keith had brought them in plastic tubs they wouldn’t have to worry about doing any dishes either, so they could spend the evening relaxing together and putting this little blip with Shiro’s breakdown behind them. Not that it had caused any tension between them or anything - Shiro just wanted to get back to all the laughter and relaxed happiness they’d both enjoyed on their date the previous evening. 

Keith had no idea how much better he’d made Shiro feel, just by being there for him, and all of his little gestures that helped Shiro feel calm and warm inside again.

It was early days still for their relationship, but Shiro was already falling hard for the enigma that was Keith Kogane


	6. Chapter 6

Keith took a quick shower and was dressed and dried by the time he joined Shiro in the kitchen. He grabbed his own salad and sat across from Shiro with a little smile. How Shiro always managed to pull him into a good mood, he couldn't guess, but right now Keith was grateful for it. 

"You looked real out of it when I got in. Even banged my knee against the table and you didn't budge." Keith recalled as he dug into his iceberg lettuce. "I would have thought out of all documentaries out there, the space one would have been able to keep you awake."

While fishing for the few tomatoes in the bowl, Keith's bangs fell into his eyes. Just the casual act of brushing them back and tucking the hair behind his ear, so delicate, made Keith look more ethereal than ever. He was beautiful in his own odd sense, and as he directed his gaze back to Shiro and smiled fondly, love made Keith even more stunning.

“I think I maybe saw the first ten minutes?” Shiro guessed. “I managed on set for a bit but then I started getting a headache. Could barely keep my eyes open between takes either and that last scene I did finished me off. The director understood and let me go, so I just came back here and pretty much passed out straight away.”

It had been a sleep he’d definitely needed, to calm his mind and body and regain his usual aura. He also felt better because he’d managed a couple of hours on set, so at least he had contributed something before having to call it quits for the day.

It was nice to be spending time with Keith again now that the worst was over, and Shiro admired his boyfriend’s handsome visage as they enjoyed a simple meal together. When he saw Keith searching for tomatoes he couldn’t help but pierce one of his own with a fork and hold it out in silent offering. Shiro didn’t mind tomatoes but they weren’t his favourite, and he was hoping to replicate a moment from their date last night by seeing if Keith would allow him to feed him one.

It also gave him an excuse to look at him a little longer without appearing creepy. Seriously, Keith was too good looking for his own good.

Keith let his focus fall on the offered tomato. Of course Shiro would offer him something like that. Keith huffed fondly before leaning forward and biting it off the fork, trying his best to make the motion look as unsexy as possible. "Thanks." He said after swallowing. 

"But you're feeling better now?" Keith thought to ask when neither man offered further conversation. He realized all too late that Shiro getting some sleep didn't necessarily mean he was feeling back to normal.

The older man nodded. “Yeah, more like myself.” He looked down at what was left of his salad, his expression soft. “Thank you, for doing what you did. It’s been a long time since, well…” He hesitated, glanced back at Keith, then smiled. “I was really glad you were there for me.”

He tentatively reached across the table for Keith’s hand, pleasantly warm compared to his naturally cooler one - crappy circulation, but still a lot warmer than his prosthetic. His index finger rubbed gently over Keith’s knuckles in a shy display of affection, locating and tracing faint scars that led Shiro to wonder what stories lay behind them.

"Anytime, Shiro. I'm just sorry I couldn't do more." Keith turned his hand towards Shiro's touch until their fingers were curled together. It was far from the most scandalous thing, but Keith still found himself blushing. 

He wanted to be more for Shiro. But there was only so much he could conceivably offer.  
"You know how Kosmo and Mom are coming in this weekend? We were thinking of going hiking in the nearby nature preserve. Would you want to come? You uh --" Keith stabbed another tomato, obviously nervous. 

"You don't have to. I know mom is a lot, and you'll have a chance to see Kosmo outside of that --" Keith mumbled. "I just ... Would like it if you did. If you came."

Shiro’s eyes lit up at the invitation and a smile quickly spread across his lips. “Keith, I’d love to. That sounds great.” He saw the nervousness and gave Keith’s hand a gentle squeeze. He wanted to make him feel more relaxed again.

“I can’t wait to meet Kosmo, and see your mom again. So as long as you’re sure I won’t be intruding then I’m there.” It meant a lot to him that Keith would ask him to accompany them on any trip, considering they’d only just got together. Yes, Krolia was a big fan of Shiro’s, but at the end of the day it was her son she was coming to visit.

Considering what the family had gone through with the loss of Keith’s dad, Shiro felt honoured that Keith wanted to include him at all rather than take the time off to spend with his mother one on one. That spoke volumes.

“I’ve never been hiking before,” Shiro admitted before the conversation could stall. “I’ll need to dig out my camera.”

"There's a ramp to the peak we were talking about visiting -" Keith looked so happy when Shiro said he'd come along, it was adorable. He started to talk about the plan when suddenly his phone went off. 

With a frown, Keith fished the phone out of his pocket. It was management with the exciting news that Keith's trailer had finally been delivered -- on the end of the row. 

Far away from Shiro. 

When Keith hung up he felt almost disappointed. "My trailer finally came in. No more homeless boyfriend on your couch, I guess." He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. Why became obvious as Keith asked, "after last night, I ..." 

"I want to be there for you. But, Shiro what do you want? Do you want me to stay or go?"

Shiro smiled at him tenderly. “I’d like you to stay, but I understand if you need your space.” He brushed his thumb over Keith’s knuckles. “You’re always welcome here, Keith. I was actually going to offer you my spare trailer key, but I wasn’t sure if that was too soon or anything. But you’re welcome to it if you’d like.”

Relief flooded through Keith at Shiro's words -- that they were on the same page was the best of news for Keith. He got up from his chair and, without really thinking things through, closed the distance between them with a kiss. 

Shiro could probably tell Keith was struggling to keep it chaste, with no tongue or teeth to add to the equation. It was a vast difference from the making out they had had following the end of their first date, but Keith thought it was important since Shiro had such a shitty day to not push things. 

When Keith broke the kiss, he realized that he stood between Shiro's legs boldly with his face cupped in his hands and craved so much more. 

Maybe space was good, because right now all Keith could think about was showing his appreciation in a variety of sexy ways. 

"Shiro... Thank you." Keith finally remembered to say.

Shiro’s face was tinted red and his pupils wide in his dark eyes. He licked his lips nervously, very aware of how close Keith was and having similar thoughts. There was still that slight tingle of nerves in his stomach, but Keith’s proximity was detracting from that feeling.

Shiro trusted Keith completely. He didn’t exactly know why considering they’d only just got together, but he felt safe with the other man in a way he never had before.

“You’re welcome,” he murmured, letting Keith continue to hold his face. “You know, just because your trailer is here... I mean— You don’t have to go right now, right?”

He knew what he was asking. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but he had to be honest with himself and his boyfriend. Maybe it was too soon, or maybe the timing was just right. That was up to Keith.

"Oh." Keith slid his hands to Shiro's shoulders and squeezed the muscle there gently. His stomach knotted at Shiro's quiet, hopeful tone, but surely...? Was Shiro really offering what Keith thought? 

"No, I can go later. I ... Want to stay here right now." Keith willed the blush building on his cheeks away but knew he still looked like a tomato as he stood there. Shiro looked ... Affected ... And Keith wanted this, so he finally dipped his head and kissed Shiro like he wanted to. 

Keith was kind of a sloppy kisser but he made up for it with enthusiasm and passion, careful still as he cradled the back of Shiro's head. Though his touch was gentle his actions did nothing to conceal his underlying hunger for Shiro. 

He just wondered how much he could get away with before Shiro asked him to stop.

Shiro let out a faint moan as Keith’s kisses became more intense, a hand lifting to touch his face before pushing into his thick dark hair which tangled between his fingers.

Shiro wanted them closer but their position was slightly awkward so he pulled himself to his feet without breaking their contact and then shifted so he was sitting on the table instead. That was a bit easier if not quite what Shiro had in mind, but with how hard Keith was kissing him it was difficult to think straight.

Another moan more pathetic than the last and his free hand found Keith’s hip. Two fingers hooked through the belt loops of his jeans and Shiro tugged him in so he was back between his legs. Surely that would get the idea across.

Things were suddenly getting very tight down there.

Keith felt his brain short circuit when Shiro tugged him back between his legs. His legs felt suddenly weak, like they were boneless, but then Shiro was kissing him again and -- 

Was this really happening?

Keith felt overheated as he grabbed Shiro's thighs and squeezed, shifting the two together until there wasn't even an inch between them. God, Shiro's noises were -- this was all -- 

Losing his virginity on a table was starting to look like a really good idea. 

But this was Shiro, and Keith wanted this to be good for him too. Which meant fucking him on something softer than solid wood. So Keith pulled back just to tell Shiro to hold on before picking him up and walking to the bedroom. 

Keith was strong but he was glad the bedroom was close when he dumped Shiro onto the mattress. He stood there, panting and blinking down at Shiro's red face for a moment before asking, "Can I fuck you?"

Shiro nipped his lower lip. Wow. He’d never been handled like that before and he found himself really liking it. Tall as he was and bulked with solid muscle he wasn’t exactly lightweight, so for Keith to carry him through like that was sexy as fuck.

The wild look in his boyfriend’s eyes made him shiver so he propped himself up on his elbows and smirked. Anticipation bubbled in his veins. “Isn’t that why you brought me here?” He winked, hooked an ankle round the back of Keith’s leg and gave him a gentle tug.

Permission had been granted. Keith was free to have his way with Shiro’s body as much as he desired, which judging by the bulge Shiro could see Keith was sporting, was a lot. Shiro himself was no better, but he’d passed the point of feeling flustered or nervous. Now he just wanted.

"Okay. Okay, yeah." Keith took a deep breath to steady himself, near blown over by Shiro's 'come hither'. How was his boyfriend this hot? 

Speaking of hot. 

Keith reached down and tugged his shirt over his head in one fell swoop. He smoothed a hand self consciously down his washboard abs before climbing over Shiro and kissing him again. Last time Shiro had been nervous about taking off his shirt, so Keith just ran his fingers underneath instead. 

He could feel the slight bump of scar tissue but it wasn't a turn off. If anything, Keith wanted to run his mouth along the lines and map Shiro out, to memorize every dip and curve of his body. 

"How do you want me, sweetheart?" Keith asked once he had sufficiently remarked Shiro's neck with hickies. "Wanna see all of you."

Shiro let out a quiet moan that was almost a whimper, though his pride would have been reluctant to admit it, and pushed a hand through Keith’s hair. The soft locks tumbled back down between his fingers in such a heavenly fashion that Shiro couldn’t help but stare in wonder beneath half lidded eyes.

God, Keith was beautiful...

The hand under his shirt was sending tingles through his skin and when Keith’s fingers brushed a nipple Shiro’s breath stuttered. His shirt, a comfortable white one he was fond of, suddenly became the enemy. He needed it off, needed the skin on skin contact he’d craved for so long. 

His hands reluctantly left Keith and he yanked the material up and over his head, then flung it into a corner. Immediately the scars were exposed, telling of Shiro’s horror accident but slowly fading with time and care. 

He still struggled to look at them sometimes but he wanted Keith to see everything, just as his boyfriend had requested.

“Have me however you like,” he replied, voice small but with a lot more confidence than the last time they’d been this intimate.

He wanted to give up control and just focus on feeling for the next while. To enjoy the act of giving himself completely to Keith for the first time without any fear of rejection. 

His hands reached up to pull his boyfriend down for another kiss. “Please, Keith. I want you...”

Just like last time, Keith was under the distinct impression that Shiro just wanted to lay back and be taken care of. To lose a bit of that control he so desperately clung to. Keith was okay with offering that -- he would be good to Shiro, would make him feel safe enough to offer up that trust again and again. 

Keith let his hands rove over Shiro's chest as they met for another kiss, thumbing at his nipples until he got to hear Shiro's cute little gasp. He chuckled against his boyfriend's parted lips and took advantage of the moment to kiss up and down Shiro's scarred body. 

But he knew they were both too impatient for proper body worship, so Keith cut himself short with an internal promise to be thorough next time. 

The cling of his tight jeans almost hurt at this point with how hard Keith was. He nervously glanced down at Shiro before popping them open to relieve some tension. The bulge there was more damning than anything and Keith blushed despite his confidence. 

But Keith was....well. 

The dick print in his briefs looked...big. Like, bigger than his lean body should have allowed for. 

With another nervous glance down at Shiro, Keith took a deep breath and shucked off his pants and briefs so that he was now fully undressed. 

"S-Sorry if it's, um," Keith stammered, unaware that his monster cock was a welcome sight, "I hope it's okay."

The sight of Keith naked and straining for him, the sheer size of him and how painfully hard he was… Shiro felt giddy that such a beautiful being was lusting after him. And talk about pleasant surprises. Keith was big and he was about to have his way with him. The taller man hadn’t had many lovers, and definitely none this size, but he was up to the challenge.

Better yet, he was thirsting for it something terrible.

“Wow,” he breathed, and swallowed hungrily. Dark eyes lifted back to lock with Keith’s and Shiro smirked, playful and encouraging. “If I’d known you were hiding that all this time…” He trailed off with a cheeky wink and slid a hand down his own body towards his tenting sweats, gauging Keith’s response as those amazing violet eyes tracked the movement. “I’m all yours, big boy.”

Keith had flicked a switch in him. Gone was shy, sweet and innocent Shiro - now he wore a devilish smile, was ready to tease, and horny as fuck.

Keith was on fire. 

He followed Shiro's hand to his own tented pants and immediately wanted to rip them off -- but was stopped short by the dirty talk. 

Dirty talk was one thing but Shiro's dirty talk was another. 

Keith ignored the wobble in his knees as he bent down and dragged the sweats off of Shiro's skull crusher thighs. While he was fine and keen to be naked, Keith left Shiro's briefs on for the time being in case he wanted to keep that final layer between them. 

Ignoring the fact that he'd previously sucked that cock.

"C'mere." Keith asked, meeting Shiro halfway to kiss. It was nice, yeah, but Keith's cock demanded more before too long. So Keith rolled his hips to catch that friction, wishing it was skin on skin as he got them both messy. "Shiro..."

Shiro huffed gently into the kiss, mouth open and welcoming to Keith’s tongue. A faint moan left him as one of his boyfriend’s hands scraped through his hair, his white bangs pushed away from his face. 

Everything was suddenly hot and left his skin tingling. He felt that heavy stiffness of Keith through his briefs and fantasised how it would feel inside him. The first thrums of pleasure were already stealing his breath and Shiro wanted to be lost to that feeling. A leg moved, he pushed his hips up and then hooked his foot over the back of Keith’s thigh.

There was no way Shiro was letting him go now. No chance in hell. They both wanted this, their bodies were geared up and yearning for one another, and Shiro felt perfectly at ease.

“Keith…” His prosthetic hand moved down while the other slid into Keith’s hair. His right thumb caught his briefs and tugged, inpatient and determined. No more barriers. Shiro knew what he wanted and he wanted it now. 

"Shiro...you're sure?" Keith caught his gaze on the thumb trying to rid Shiro of his last piece of clothing and knew it was a silly thing to ask. So he helped Shiro instead, near struck dumb when he saw Shiro sprawled out completely naked and hard for him. 

Keith went scrambling for the lube before his brain shut down. He knew to let it warm on his skin before inserting the first finger inside, but after that Keith just listened for Shiro's sounds as his guide. 

"Shiro..." Keith was definitely losing himself to the sight of Shiro stretched open on his fingers, wanting for something more to distract him. So he tried his own hand in dirty talk while slipping a third finger inside.

"You're so beautiful ... I can't believe this is happening." Keith gasped, soft and low. "You're so tight, Shiro..."

Shiro smiled through his shallow breathing, eyes shut and body arching into all of Keith’s touches. It had been a long time since anyone had touched him like this, and it made his heart flutter and toes curl.

There was just something about having a lover tend to him so carefully - his own fingers never felt the same on the rare occasion he’d grown desperate enough to try. Shiro wasn’t a huge fan of toys either, and it had just been weird when he’d tried with his prosthetic hand.

But Keith… Keith seemed to know exactly what he was doing, each flex of his fingers careful to avoid pain while gently stretching him open further and further. The lube helped a lot obviously, but Shiro’s lack of discomfort was mostly down to having a caring and considerate lover.

He whined softly when he felt ready and grabbed softly at Keith’s shoulders. “Please, baby…”

Keith swallowed at Shiro's whine and pulled free. Shiro was literally begging for it -- and Keith wanted this more than anything. But would he be disappointing? Embarrassing? There was no way to tell. 

He was content to keep Shiro on his back at least, for their first round. Keith lined himself up and pressed slow inside, wary of the stretch and trying not to come immediately. It felt so so good, better than anything he could have thought. 

Keith tightened his grip on Shiro's thighs and rolled his hips back and forward, testing the waters and watching for any pain. 

Because Shiro looked stuffed. 

"Fuck." Keith gasped, unable to stop his hips from bucking up into Shiro's wet heat. "Fuck, sweetheart, you feel amazing..."

Shiro held his breath at Keith’s initial push inside, letting his body adjust to the welcome intrusion after so long going without. Wow, Keith felt even bigger than he had looked, which was beyond impressive, reaching so deep into him that Shiro doubted he’d be able to last long.

He lifted his hands over his head and fisted at the pillow and bedsheets, a pleased grunt coming from him as Keith settled inside and began to move. Damn, he looked like a vision. Shiro rocked his own hips to match the pace his boyfriend had set, and let out a shuddering breath when Keith started to nudge at that sweet spot inside of him.

“Keith--” His gasped and squeezed his thighs round Keith’s hips. “Right there… Fuck…”

There was nothing more heavenly than this very moment. Keith kept his eyes trained on Shiro, eyes hooded and burning a violet darkened by desire, biting his bottom lip to keep any embarrassing noises locked inside. But Shiro was so receptive, it was hard to not gloat, to keep quiet. 

An especially deep thrust that rattled them both tore the first groan from Keith. After that, he couldn't hold back. He let Shiro know just how good he felt by gasping his name, by growling low at a sweet roll of their hips, in a hundred other ways Keith wasn't even mentally aware of. 

All he knew was that he wanted to make Shiro feel good. And Shiro liked getting pounded right there, so who was Keith to do otherwise? 

Keith slowly shifted up, just to lace his fingers with Shiro's, and proceeded to pound him into the mattress.

The guttural moan from Shiro turned into a broken cry of pure rapture. Keith was completely dominating him and Shiro’s hazy brain never wanted it to end. With eyes almost rolling back in his head and his back arching up to press their flushed skin together, Takashi Shirogane devolved into a man who could only grunt and cry as Keith carried him through wave after wave of euphoria. 

That huge length inside of him rubbed and pressed so perfectly against his most intimate spots while their bodies slapped and rolled together as one. This was one immortal fuck and Shiro had never felt so elated in his life - sex had always been good but this, this was a whole new level.

He tried to speak, to murmur or gasp his lover’s name on several occasions, but all that came out were more filthy sounds without meaning from his throat as Keith fucked him senseless. Shiro never wanted it to end. The heat, the intense pleasure, the force Keith was slamming into him. He’d no doubt be limping for days after this but to hell with worrying about that! Keith was fucking him and Shiro was totally drunk with lust as a result.

Every time Keith thrust into him another wheezing sound rushed out past Shiro’s lips. Their fingers remained interlocked until Shiro had to pull away and hold onto Keith. His large hands shot down to grope and tug at that amazing ass he’d been admiring for days, Shiro’s impressive strength put to good use to help guide and draw Keith even deeper into him.

It was filthy but it was also perfection, the larger of the two holding on for all he was worth with his legs spread wide so Keith could heave into him without any resistance.

Shiro’s brain stopped working. It was just Keith and their filthy, delicious pleasure they were creating together. Nothing else mattered.

When Shiro pulled away to tug him in even harder, Keith thought he was really going to lose it. But he just grabbed the sheets instead, fingers ripping into the sheets as he clung for life. 

But Keith's punishing pace wasn't meant to drag this out -- the tearing sound of Shiro's sheets and the creaky wheeze of the bed frame punctuated that fact. 

Keith, for as much as he loved this, was losing control. So he reached one hand between them to palm at Shiro's straining cock, in an effort to get their first round finished in an exhausting shared climax. 

"C'mon sweetheart," Keith growled as he slammed harder, deeper, a few breaths from release, "I wanna see you come...!"

Shiro’s breathy moans climbed in pitch, eyes squeezed tightly shut as he attempted to hold onto that pleasure for just a little longer. Keith had him balanced on a knife edge and he was so close to tumbling head first into heavily sated oblivion. 

It was the extra stimulation from his lover’s hand that finally finished him off. 

Shiro’s body shuddered and then tensed up, his back arched high up off the mattress and twisted sheets beneath him. Every tight, perfectly sculpted muscles quivered as he came thick and fast, spilling into Keith’s hand with the most desperate wheeze of his boyfriend’s name.

His body still rolled to ride out the intense rush and carry Keith with him over the edge, but Shiro’s mind was wonderfully blank as the thrill of his release courses through his veins.

Keith wasn't far behind when it came to blinding orgasm. Shiro's own meant that the body he was buried deep in was suddenly even tighter, so Keith didn't stand a chance. He took one look at Shiro's orgasm-wrecked body with cum streaking down his body and followed into pure bliss. 

He rolled his hips just enough to be empty, slow to pull out and even slower to lay down, too entranced by the sight of Shiro stuffed full with his cum. Wow. What a look. But eventually the weakness of his body demanded some rest so Keith flopped down beside Shiro and tried to catch both his breath and his working brain. 

What a hell of a way to lose his virginity. He only hoped Shiro liked it enough to excuse the ripped bedsheets. 

When Keith could finally form a successful word, he rolled onto his side and gently touched Shiro's shoulder. "You okay, Shiro?"

Shiro’s eyes fluttered open, his own breathing starting to calm down as he came back to his senses. His eyes were bright and his smile pure, a picture of innocence compared to his lower half which was a mess thanks to their activities. But by God had it been worth every second.

“More than,” he murmured, then rolled so he could bring their lips together in a kiss far more sweet and delicate than what they’d just been doing moments prior. “Was it good for you, too?”

"I..." Keith didn't blush, didn't shy away, but he still seemed hesitant. Not because the sex was bad -- god, Shiro had effectively ruined anyone else's chance basically -- but he still had to confess that it had been his first. 

But at least he could be truthful. "It was amazing. You were amazing, Shiro." He licked his lips before saying softly, "I was really nervous for my first time but you made it good, Shiro." 

Shiro blinked. It was a surprise to learn that Keith had been a virgin - Shiro would never have assumed so in a million years after that performance. And, oh God… Keith had given him his virginity. A blush spread across his cheeks and he grinned, rolling over further so he could hold his boyfriend and kiss his temple.

“I’m so glad I made it good for you.” Sweet, big softie Shiro was back again, his more playful side coming out with his happiness. “You were amazing, baby. I’ve never felt that good before.” Not that he had had many sexual partners, but there had been sex and it had been enjoyable in most instances. But Keith was the first to make it amazing for Shiro, possibly because of the mutual affection they shared.

It hadn’t been just a quick romp between the sheets to get it out of their systems. It meant so much more than that and that was what made Shiro giddy. 

"Well," Keith playfully rolled his eyes at his incoming joke, "I've never had it that good before, either." He felt airy and blissful in Shiro's embrace right now, and was glad they had the entire night to relax in each other's arms. 

But... Keith didn't think Shiro would fault him for wanting to sneak in a few kisses. So Keith leaned up and kissed the giggles from his boyfriend's mouth, only to find his plan backfiring when he started to smile too. 

"Sorry about your sheets." Keith offered after a moment of limb-tangling and kisses. He pulled back to look at the damage, all sweaty and mussed up and so damn beautiful and ...

Still hard. 

"I'll get some new ones to replace em." Keith continued casually, as if his cock wasn't still cherry-red and pressed to his stomach. "Maybe try to hold onto the bed frame too I guess..."

Shiro nipped at his lower lip and smiled, his gaze following Keith’s down the length of his body before quickly darting back up again. “Or you could just hold onto me,” he suggested, and had a very lazy stretch that showed off every muscle, still gorgeous despite the mess they were both in.

“Wanna go again?” He rested his head in one hand and winked at his boyfriend, his other hand trailing fingers gently up Keith’s side and arm. “You look like you want to.”

"Oh, I uh," Keith glanced down, a bit unsure. Not because he didn't want to, but because he felt some genuine concern for Shiro's ass right now. "I would but that last round -- I could be gentler?" Keith suggested with a bit of a wince. 

He perched himself up on his elbows to kiss Shiro, a little excited by the idea of getting to take him again. Keith was willing to do anything to hear Shiro make those moans again. "How do you want this, sweetheart? Tell me what's best for you."

Shiro hummed as he thought about it. “I could lie on my front, that is if you don’t mind us not facing each other. Or on our sides.” He smiled, turning a little bashful. “I don’t really have the energy to be a power bottom tonight. Or we do it the same again but this time a little slower.”

He blushed again, an adorable dusting of pink across his cheeks. “If I’m to be of any use tomorrow then I really need to be able to walk.”

Right. Walking tomorrow. A small part of Keith wanted to see Shiro limp, just a little, but it wouldn't be any good if Shiro was miserable the whole next day. So Keith gave a small nod and thought over his options. 

Of the three, it seemed like Shiro getting the chance to play Pillow Princess would be the best. Keith told him so while he got the lube out again and slicked himself up. He stood at the edge of the bed and started to slowly stroke himself, waiting for Shiro to get on his hands and knees. 

When his boyfriend was close enough, Keith pressed his fingers back inside his ass to slick him up too, cock twitching with interest at the now familiar feeling. "I'll go gentle." He promised, leaning forward to kiss the nape of Shiro's neck.

“I know you will,” Shiro breathed, and rocked his hips gently against the fingers inside him. He could feel his own cock slowly coming back to life, and he was still sensitive enough from their first round that a few careful rubs from Keith brought about the first gentle throbs of pleasure.

“Don’t keep me waiting too long, baby.” Shiro was looking back over his shoulder so he could watch Keith prepare them both, and fuck was it hot to see. Shiro still wasn’t quite sure how he’d landed such a gorgeous boyfriend, who was also an absolute God in bed. Keith had seriously been a virgin before this? That was almost impossible to believe.

Pleased to find Shiro still stretched and lubed enough from their first round, Keith pulled his finger free. He knew enough from his lonely nights with porn, but it was a different experience entirely when done in person -- in a better sense. 

He thrust inside with startling ease and pressed kisses to Shiro's shoulders and neck as Keith slowly rolled his hips. With his chest to Shiro's back, the most he could really do was just grind, but judging from Keith's agreeable moans he liked that just well enough. 

For now. 

Able to sink back to the hilt now, Keith reached forward and covered Shiro's hands with his own, grinding slow and steady as the pleasure built. The way it curled in his stomach, Keith wasn't sure he could keep his promise to be gentle.

As Keith took him harder Shiro forgot about trying to hold himself up. His arms gave out and his upper body dropped towards the crumpled bed sheets. He tugged and pulled at them, ripped more as the pleasure washed over him like waves.

His teeth even found the corner of a pillow and he bit down to try and muffle his breathless moans and grunts for more. He was the epitome of a pillow princess with his ass in the air to let Keith dominate him. 

“Ke-Keith!”

What a loss it was, for Shiro to try to muffle his beautiful sounds. Keith didn't have the current brain capacity to complain about it, though, barely able to keep up his own end of the fucking at the moment. But he still heard his name on Shiro's lips, and the reaction was pivotal. 

One of Keith's hands slapped Shiro's ass and dug in, gripping flesh as Keith fucked Shiro to completion. There were sure to be bruises tomorrow, but at least these would remain their own private secret. Keith gasped as he slammed into Shiro, his last few thrusts erratic and choppy as he finally came. 

The rush of heat was so great it leaked down the back of Shiro's legs afterwards, though Keith was careful to keep himself locked inside for a bit longer. Shiro had to come, after all. He bent back over Shiro and rolled his hips slow, trying to touch the cock trapped against the mattress.

Shiro didn’t need much more attention. He held on for as long as he could, but ultimately it was a battle he was more than happy to lose. He was so full, hot and messy and just starting to ache in a way that was oh so satisfying.

Thoroughly fucked indeed.

Flopped across the bed with Keith’s weight over him and the hand pushing under to finish him off, Shiro finally let go with a cry even the pillow couldn’t muffle and came hard. His body shuddered under Keith’s and he rocked his hips down into the mattress and Keith’s hand a few times to ride out his finish, then slumped bonelessly with a relieved gasp and sigh.

Keith couldn't help but smile at the way Shiro went boneless once they were done -- it was a cute look after all their debauchery. He was gentle as he pulled out, now fully spent and soft, a hand soothing over the wrecked skin of Shiro's ass. 

It took a few breaths, but Keith finally got himself to move to the bathroom and grab a cloth to clean themselves with. He wiped Shiro down first before cleaning the lube and cum from his skin, then tossed the cloth in favor of lying next to Shiro on the bed. 

Keith was content to lay there for the time being, still feeling worn out from the quick rush orgasm always brought. Still, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty for fucking Shiro within an inch of his life after promising to be gentle. "You okay?" Keith eventually asked.

Shiro opened his eyes and peered at him through his bangs. The way they hung down over his face more than usual made him look even more gorgeous.

“You’ve ruined me,” he replied, a relaxed smile on his lips. “I like your version of gentle.” He shifted just enough so he could nudge their lips together in a slow kiss, then flopped back down into the pillow. “Thanks for cleaning up, baby. You didn’t have to.”

"I don't mind." Keith smiled into the kiss, not having the heart to tell Shiro he looked like he wouldn't be moving anytime soon. Which was his fault. But, well. "I really did mean to be gentle ... Sorry." 

It was probably too lewd to tell Shiro just how hot he looked stretched on Keith's cock -- his fuzzy brain couldn't remember any previous dirty talk and it seemed rude to start after they had finished. So Keith kept that to himself.

“Do you see me complaining?” Shiro asked. He had a careful stretch, lazy and slow to boot, then shifted just enough to get himself off the wet patch from his own release. He used the now ruined sheet to clean what Keith had missed before settling back down on the cool mattress. 

“I’ll get up in a bit and take a shower,” he decided out loud. Sex was always fun, and with Keith it was incredible, but Shiro had never been fond of how sticky and messy it always left him afterwards. He far preferred being clean, and a cool shower sounded nice. 

Dark eyes turned towards the gorgeous man beside him. “We could shower together if you like, unless you’d rather not. But I’m a shower after sex kind of guy, so I’ll be going anyway.”

Keith huffed, low and full of affection. Of course Shiro would invite him into a shower. Keith just hoped his body realized how tired he really was and wouldn't demand any more rounds. "Yeah, I'll join you. Is the shower big enough for the both of us?" 

In Shiro's luxury of a trailer, it was a strong possibility. Keith got up from bed with a grunt and wandered over to the bathroom, unaware of the show he was putting on for Shiro. 

"It looks like it might fit us." Keith grinned as he turned back to Shiro. "I'll get the water running."

Shiro smiled and nuzzled into the pillow. “Perfect. I’ll join you in a minute.” He just needed a little bit longer to find the energy to move.

When the shower started and Keith didn’t return to the room Shiro finally hauled himself up right. Almost immediately he felt some discomfort - hardly surprising considering two rounds of intense sex - but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. Shiro had lost an arm as a result of his horrific accident, but he had gained an incredible tolerance for pain in return.

Sure, there were times when that wasn’t exactly a good thing, but in this case it definitely was. He got to his feet, stretched again, then yanked the dirty and ruined sheets from the bed. They were dumped in a pile on the floor and then the scarred man padded through to the bathroom with only a slight limp. The marks on his skin, also courtesy of Keith, were far more noticeable. 

Keith drew back the shower curtain when he heard Shiro enter, greeting the man with a shit-eating grin and an absolutely soaked body. "There you are. I was wondering if you fell asleep. Well, come on in. Water is hot enough." In a devastatingly sexy move, Keith pushed back his wet bangs and moved aside to let Shiro in. 

From the soapy bubbles at the bottom of the tub it seemed obvious that Keith had already shampooed. He worked the conditioner into his hair in a casual, loose way, grinning again when Shiro finally stepped in. "Hey, handsome." 

Keith pressed close to gift his boyfriend a kiss. "Come here often?" He flirted.

Shiro hummed at the kiss and chuckled. “Oh, every now and then, you know. But they’ve done something with the place - it’s a lot more appealing than it used to be.”

He winked, ran his left hand through Keith’s silky conditioned hair and pressed their foreheads together. “What about you, gorgeous? Do you like it here?”

"Yeah. Yeah, I like it a lot." Keith smiled into their easy, carefree touch before reluctantly pulling away to stand back under the water. He washed himself free of soap before offering Shiro the spray, then went to work lathering himself up with Shiro's bubbly body wash. 

He felt a little silly with the huge white puffy clouds of soap clinging to his skin, but just laughed when he saw Shiro's incredulous look and decided he must look fine after all. What was the sexy scenario people always touted? A sexy car wash? 

Keith kind of felt like that, but was glad only Shiro got to see him laugh at the puffs of soap.

Shiro was all up for admiring Keith’s bubble covered physique, but after their rounds in bed his ass definitely needed a bit of a break, so everything stayed innocent. 

He rubbed the shampoo carefully through his own much shorter hair, again demonstrating his dexterity with his prosthetic before stepping fully under the hot spray until the water ran clear down his body.

“I still can’t believe we met again on this production,” he spoke up, squirting a generous amount of body wash into his hand. “When I saw your name on the casting list I got really excited.” His blush was hidden in the steam and spray of the shower. “Never thought I’d be this lucky though. Keep thinking I’m going to wake up at some point.”

He eyed Keith shyly and brushed his own hair from his face. It made him look even more handsome. “Is that silly?”

Keith rinsed the last of the soap from his body and thought it over, wondering himself. "It's not silly." That much Keith did know. But they hadn't talked much about their past together as of yet, which now that Keith thought about it, was a little surprising. 

"I didn't even look at the other cast names when I joined the show. I just wanted to focus on the work I would need to do." Keith eventually admitted, though his heart pounded at the thought of Shiro being excited to work with him again. 

"Had I known, I ..." This was the harder part to articulate. "I'd be excited, yeah, but I'd probably psyche myself out too. We left things on kind of a weird note, you know, and my crush on you only grew more embarrassing during our time apart."

Shiro responded with a gentle nod. “Five years is a long time,” he agreed. “Maybe we needed that to figure everything out in our heads, but now is what matters most.” He found one of Keith’s hands and linked their fingers together.

“It’s nice to hear you still had a crush on me,” he smiled. “I think it’s sweet. Hopefully I lived up to your expectations.” He winked and leaned forward, still all soapy from washing himself, and kissed the corner of Keith’s lips. Hopeless romantic Shiro was still coasting on their post-sex euphoria, and with a boyfriend as drop dead gorgeous and amazing in bed as Keith Kogane, who could blame him!

This was a dream Shiro never wanted to wake up from.

"Shut up." Keith laughed, meaning no harm but feeling self conscious about his old crush. "Of course you did Shiro. It's not just hero worship anymore." That this feeling tasted like love, Keith didn't want to say, scared by how real that feeling was. 

"Though if you want to confess to your crush, by all means, go ahead." Keith shrugged his shoulders with a grin. "I know it's true. You were going to kiss me that night -- means I wasn't the only one wanting more." Right?

Shiro blushed, bashful and sweet in the building steam of the bathroom. “I was. And damn, Keith, I wanted it so bad, but...there was so much to consider. And my self confidence got in the way.”

He moved forward, slow in case Keith wanted to pull away, then wrapped his arms around him. For some reason Shiro just felt a need to hold Keith all of a sudden, to communicate his feelings without fear of muddling up his words.

“I loved how you confessed to me,” he murmured in his boyfriend’s ear. “I didn’t suspect a thing at first and then my heart was pounding so hard I was sure you’d hear it. I’d decided that I’d try confessing to you if we got along well on Voltron, but you beat me to it.”

"I definitely wouldn't have had the patience to wait any longer." Keith murmured, content to be held in Shiro's strong grasp. He pressed a gentle kiss to his shoulder before continuing, saying, "I'm sure you would have sent my heart pounding too." 

That being a complete understatement of the year. Keith smiled as he pressed another kiss to the long curve of Shiro's neck. He could see them being together for years to come and still being flustered by his boyfriend's attentions. 

"We're going to run up the water bill like this, sweetheart." Keith eventually said, already able to feel the water starting to chill. "We should finish up."

Shiro sighed heavily. “Yes, I suppose,” he agreed, reluctant as hell to move and let go of Keith just yet. Unfortunately the cooling water was impossible to ignore, so he turned it off and gently squeezed the excess from Keith’s long, thick hair. 

“You suit your hair this way,” he commented. It had been shorter during Avatar, and Shiro hadn’t thought much of it, but now that he’d seen Keith with longer hair he realised he had a thing for it.

He blinked as he found himself going all doe eyed and smiled again. “I stripped the bed. It won’t take long for me to remake. I’m assuming you’ll be joining me instead of taking the couch, right?”

His eyes were bright and hopeful. They didn’t have to spend every moment together - a bit of space was always healthy in a relationship - but for tonight at least Shiro felt Keith would be happy enough to stay with him.

"Just for tonight. Then I really should move into my trailer -- avoid the scandal you know?" Keith grinned, all teeth and easy confidence. "You do make a good spoon to snuggle against." 

Keith made sure to towel himself off real well, then helped Shiro lay out the new sheets. He'd buy him another set as an apology. 

For now Keith just wanted to sleep. And press against Shiro. He patted the bed impatiently when Shiro took too long to slide into bed, not even caring how desperate he looked. "C'mere sweetheart. Wanna tangle up in you."

They gathered together in bed, two pieces intertwined, and slept peacefully for the remainder of the night.


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of the week passed with little fanfare -- the biggest change was Keith moving into his own trailer promptly followed by a little party held by all the other co-workers in celebration. But even with that change, Keith and Shiro still stayed over enough that it felt wasted. 

Not that Keith minded. Things had cooled down sexually after their first night together -- a little because Shiro was limping the next day, and a little because the casual intimacy was just as good. But he was still looking forward to the open plan of their weekend and all the fun there ... Until he remembered his mom was coming in.

Krolia arrived Saturday morning at 3 am. Keith had slept alone in his trailer in preparation, thankfully, because no human should be awake that early. All three people promptly fell asleep for another 5 hours. 

But then Shiro started to get texts about being ready for their hiking trip. With picture attachments of Kosmo aka Best Dog!! 

Keith was up with Krolia, dressed in his tight hiker leggings and hair pulled up in a sloppy ponytail. His mother, ever his mirror image, was the same. She chatted with Keith excitedly as they waited for Shiro to arrive.

Shiro had been ready for a while in his own tight fitting clothes that were comfortable, cool and showed off all his assets. As soon as he received Keith’s texts he grabbed his phone, small backpack with water and a few other bits and pieces he’d thrown together, and left his trailer.

The air temperature was pleasant with a refreshing breeze passing across the carpark, the forecast promising good weather for most of the day - perfect hiking conditions as far as Shiro was concerned. He was so excited.

When Keith and Krolia came into view Shiro smiled brightly, but didn’t call out because he didn’t want to interrupt whatever conversation they were having. Keith was so like his mother, he definitely had her eyes and lithe but strong body frame. Even their bone structure in their faces was the same. No one could have denied they were mother and son.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said as he got closer, realizing that Kosmo must have wandered off because he was nowhere to be seen. Shiro felt like life was teasing him - he was desperate to meet that dog!

"Shiro." Krolia was the first to notice, turning towards the man with an excited smile. "Glad to see you'll be joining us this morning." Once the man was close, she pulled him in for a hug, lingering just a touch too long. Keith cleared his throat and she finally pulled away, but not before saying, "I'm glad Keith finally found his courage."

"Mom." Keith sighed, hand winding into Shiro's grasp to tug him back towards his boyfriend. 

"That's all I'll say on the matter." She promised with a small smile. "Now, where did your wolf go?" 

Keith frowned as he looked around, and seeing Kosmo gone, whistled for him.

Here came Kosmo, all 85 pounds of doggy love rounding the trailer and headed straight for them. He was maybe a Husky, Akita, Lab mix...? Didn't matter, he was headed right for them. "Kosmo, heel!" Keith whistled again right before he hurt someone. 

Kosmo slowed to a halt in front of Shiro, looking up with unashamed love up at his new friend before sitting and offering his paw. Like a good boy.

Shiro’s grin nearly split his face and he was pretty sure his heart imploded at the sight. Kosmo had been gorgeous in the pictures Keith had shown him, but he was even more beautiful in person and so well behaved to come running immediately upon hearing Keith’s whistle.

Shiro accepted the paw and gave it a shake in greeting before kneeling down to let the dog sniff him. “Hi, Kosmo. So lovely to finally meet you.” Both his hands pushed into the thick black fur of the dog’s neck and shoulders once Kosmo seemed fully settled and Shiro gave him a good scratch, which the dog immediately leaned into. “Keith’s told me a lot about you. He’s been teasing me with talk of your visit for days now.” 

Having had dogs all his life Shiro could tell in an instant that Kosmo was doted on by his family. He was in perfect shape for a dog his size, his coat was gleaming and his temperament was beautiful. Keith had said that he was a rescue dog, and some could have problems as a result of whatever trauma they’d suffered before being rescued, like being nervous or defensive when they met new people. But not Kosmo. He was gorgeous and he knew it.

“You’re just a fluffy big lump, aren’t you? Yes you are.” And there was the doggy voice coming out, Shiro’s version of how a lot of people cooed over young babies. Only dogs could get that reaction out of Shiro though, no matter what age they were. He found himself falling in love as Kosmo flopped over and offered his belly for a rub, tail wagging across the warm tarmac and scattering loose stones. 

Keith and Krolia watched Shiro love on their dog for another 5 minutes in quiet amusement, breaking up the fun only when Shiro's baby voice raised another octave. "Alright don't worry Shiro he'll be with us the entire time. Lets go while it's still cool." 

Kosmo was happy to attach himself to Shiro the whole car trip to the hiking path. Keith watched with amusement from the front seat as Kosmo flopped into Shiro's lap for the last 10 minutes. When they arrived, the path looked quiet with no other people about. "Beautiful morning." Keith took a deep breath of the fresh air before turning to Shiro. 

"Ready? It's just a 3 mile hike to the vantage point. Shouldn't be too bad of An incline, either." On account they had already driven up quite a ways.

Shiro shielded his eyes with a hand as he looked up towards the path they’d be taking. It looked to be a good walk and the weather was perfect for it. Kosmo hopped out of the car and immediately bounded to the nearest bush to investigate.

“I’m ready when you are,” Shiro responded. He put on a pair of shades, glanced towards Krolia to make sure she wasn’t looking, and then gave Keith a quick kiss. He wasn’t sure what Keith’s thoughts were on being openly affectionate in front of his mother, but Shiro couldn’t help himself, just a little.

He smiled as he pulled back again, seeing the curiosity sparking in Keith’s beautiful violet eyes. “Thanks again for bringing me along." He grinned. "Kosmo is almost as handsome as his human, you know.” 

"That's a cruel thing to say, Shiro." Keith said, voice a low drawl as he closed that distance between them once more to kiss him senseless. He pulled away only when Krolia wolf whistled from the trail entryway. "Thanks for coming." Keith added before turning to his mother and following her up and into the woods. 

Kosmo gave one last happy bark at Shiro before hurrying after his family. Because they had Kosmo there wasn't much chance of seeing any wildlife, but Keith or Krolia would stop every so often to point out an especially pretty view, or some local fauna. Other than that Krolia was quiet, content to listen to the two boys chatter away. 

They reached the clearing within an hour and set up their picnic getup. It wasn't anything heavy -- since lunch was still a few hours ahead -- so it was just snacks available for the time being. Keith walked the edge taking pictures while Krolia sat on the blanket and prepared their plates.

Shiro helped where he could, never one to sit back and watch another do all the work alone, but his efforts were somewhat hindered when Kosmo came over and decided to lean heavily against him.

“You may need to check Kosmo’s in your car when you leave,” Shiro joked with Krolia. “I could just cuddle and fuss over him forever.” He didn’t add that Keith may get a bit jealous if that were to happen, though the thought was a little amusing.

“He could come on set with us and distract all the crew for hours. My old dog Yuki did that when I took her to the recording studio for Avatar.”

Krolia looked up from her preparations and smiled at the sight of Kosmo resting so heavily against Shiro. Still, she seemed hesitant as she said, "Kosmo is in training to be an emotional service dog. He knows where he's needed." Though she meant nothing of it, Krolia still watched to make sure Shiro understood. 

But Keith was rounding back around before Krolia could say anything more on the subject, camera in hand. "I managed to get a good picture of the valley. Are we ready for lunch?"

Shiro smiled with a nod and did his best to ignore the slight churning in his stomach that had suddenly come on, and took a sip of his water.

His issue of always overthinking everything raised its ugly head again as he thought over what had just happened while Krolia handed Keith a plate. Her words, her hesitation around him and the way she’d stopped when Keith returned.

Had Shiro made her feel uncomfortable? Had he annoyed her? Was he too casual? He hadn’t meant anything by the comment about Kosmo, but now he felt like he didn’t deserve to be in such close contact to the beautiful dog.

Okay, stop. Calm down. Now was not the time to self destruct due to previous experiences in his past. That was all ancient history and not important right now. Keith and Krolia had both been through a lot with the loss of Keith’s dad, and while Shiro didn’t know all the details and would never pry, he could sympathize. His parents were gone too - he knew how hard it was to recover from something like that.

Today was about Keith and Krolia spending some time together, and Shiro had been invited to join them, which was an honour. He wouldn’t spoil any of this for his boyfriend just because he had a few stupid insecurities.

He shuffled closer to Keith once the younger man had settled with his helping of snacks, calm again as he pressed their shoulders together. “Hope you don’t mind, but I took a few pictures of you and Kosmo on the way up.” He unlocked his phone and passed it to Keith so he could have a look.

"No way." Keith laughed as he looked over at Shiro's phone, unbelieving that his boyfriend would betray their trust. But the pictures were good -- flattering, even. Keith squinted at a few that focused a little too much on his ass. All the rest appeared to be of Kosmo. "Your loyalties are really divided with Kosmo here, huh?" 

But Keith was secretly touched by Shiro wanted to take pictures, knowing it meant that he wanted to memorialize the moment. Keith wanted that too and promised to himself to take a few pictures of Shiro later. "These are really good though. Will you send the ones with me and Kosmo together to me?" His dinosaur of a phone needed a new wallpaper. 

They looked over a few of the scenery pictures when Krolia motioned over to them. "I'll take a picture of the three of you." She offered. Keith shuffled closer to Shiro as she held the camera, and was even brave enough to link their hands together. 

"Say cheese." Krolia ordered with a smile of her own. Keith let his happiness show in his returning smile.

When Keith was handed back the camera, he felt that warmth flood him again. They looked good together, and even better, they looked happy. "This is a good one." Keith murmured.

Shiro couldn’t help but agree. Forget the pretty lighting, sharp focus and beautiful scenery in the background - the picture on Keith’s camera screen looked natural and relaxed. There was no awkward smiling, no obvious posing, just two people completely at ease with one another sitting side by side with a dog in front of them.

Unbeknownst to Shiro the warmth he felt inside was the same one that Keith was experiencing. To see such a happy moment in time captured forever on camera made him realise just how lucky he was. It was still hard to believe that Keith was now his boyfriend, and after getting past their long suffering pining for one another they’d clicked in an instant.

And now they were here, out for a walk in a gorgeous location, hopefully the first of many trips together. When Shiro looked at that picture he hoped that he was looking into the future as well as the past. Their relationship was still new and fresh, full of excitement and new discoveries every day as they learned a little bit more about each other, but Shiro honestly believed that it had the potential to last.

Keith made him feel grounded in a way that no one else had before, and every time Shiro managed to get a little chuckle or laugh from his boyfriend he felt a great sense of triumph at being the one to bring that out. He’d never get tired of seeing that gorgeous smile. Keith was a man who played his cards pretty close to his chest and Shiro respected that, so it made him feel all the more honoured whenever his boyfriend dropped his barrier a little.

Not that Keith was stoic or anything. Far from it. He just had aspects of his life that he wasn’t ready to share quite yet and Shiro would never pry. Losing his dad, Kosmo being trained as an emotional assistance dog, seeing his mother have to move on without her husband…. None of that was easy.

It all made that smile on Keith’s face, both in the photo and right now, so much more precious. Shiro had another sip of his water and swallowed slowly as something dawned on him.

He was already falling in love with that smile, and the one it belonged to.

“I wouldn’t mind a copy of that for my iPad home screen,” he replied, and rubbed Kosmo on the head between his ears as the dog nudged him for attention. “We both look really happy in it.”

"Sure, I'll send it to you." Keith squinted at the screen as he punched in the sharing details, his camera managing to be more high-tech and well loved than his clunky phone -- which was good, meaning that the picture Shiro received wouldn't be compressed to hell. After it was sent, Keith took a moment longer to look at it and his answering smile was so soft. 

No, he wasn't ready to explain why Kosmo was an emotional support animal, or what it was like having his dad die so suddenly, or even what therapy was like when he went once a month, but this moment mended that, just a little. One day he would tell Shiro everything -- including that he loved him. 

"Wanna eat?" Keith finally asked, moving them both on to their new point of interest. The three sat together on their shared picnic blanket and ate all the delicious things Krolia had packed, talking and hiking more later when all the food was gone. 

But they returned to the peak to watch the sunset. When it slid just below the horizon, Keith slid his hand into Shiro's and kissed his cheek, words unspoken as they enjoyed their peace for a bit longer.

...

Shooting the remaining footage for Voltron: Season 1 took more time than Keith thought, but he was still loathe to see his contract fulfilled. If the show was reviewed well by the public, then the contract would be renewed no problem and everyone would be asked back -- but if the show tanked and no station wanted them, then this was the end of the line. 

And while it would suck to lose out on a potentially long-running show like Voltron, Keith was more scared to lose Shiro. 

Not that he really had a reason to. These last 8 months of filming had been some of the best days of Keith's life; filled with laughter, love, and good fun. And Shiro. 

God, Shiro. 

They had dropped the charade of sleeping in separate trailers after just a month of trying. Keith felt better being there for any nightmares Shiro might have and missed their long nights of Skyrim and trying out different dinner recipes. Plus, he missed Shiro. Missed him being the last thing he saw going to bed and the first thing he got to wake up to. 

But, ever the coward, Keith hadn't told Shiro he loved him. Because he did. He loved Shiro in a way that near scared him with the intensity of all the emotions swirling in his heart.

There had been a few slip ups. 

Most all of them were when Keith was fucking Shiro senseless into the creaky mattress they now shared. High on the ecstasy of sex and the wine they had splurged on earlier, Keith had moaned it, louder than he ever dared "God, I love --!" and then promptly bit his tongue. The first few times he got away with it just because Shiro was having his ass rawed so hard he couldn't remember his own name, much less hear anything Keith said. 

The last time had been trickier. Shiro had done something so unbelievably cute -- Keith couldn't even remember what, now -- and it had tumbled from him. "God, Shiro, I love," He did remember how wide Shiro's eyes got and felt that fear tumble, making him say, "I, I love your laugh." 

It wasn't perfect, but it would do for the time being.

But now they were getting dressed for the season 1 premiere, to be celebrated in the studio on their biggest playback TV, and all Keith could think about was fucking this beautiful thing up in the way only he could. 

He wanted to tell Shiro he loved him, right after asking him to spend these next two months backpacking across the country with him and Kosmo. 

So his hands trembled as he buttoned up his fanciest shirt and triple checked the cut of his pants, wondering if they were too tight. Shiro would give him flack for worrying, Keith knew, but they had agreed on dressing in their separate trailers for the special night for this reason exactly. 

Keith took one last deep breath before stepping out and heading for the studio. He took the first glass of wine he could find, chugged it, and took another before searching Shiro out in the gathered crowd.

It didn’t take long to find the tall scarred man, who looked incredibly dapper in his fine black suit and crisp white shirt. The suit seemed to accentuate every muscle so perfectly beneath its fine material, giving him the look of a rich and successful businessman with the charm of a prince and body of a Greek God all in one.

And he was all Keith’s.

Shiro was talking with the director and his wife, along with a few other studio staff members, Coran and Lance. A flute of champagne was held delicately in his prosthetic hand that he occasionally sipped from - Shiro still wasn’t much of a drinker but he enjoyed a little champagne on a special occasion, which this definitely was.

The time working on Voltron so far had been good for him, not just from a relationship standpoint with Keith but also on a professional level. After time away following his accident he’d finally had the opportunity to settle back into a consistent acting role that was both rewarding to play and continued to evolve as the character grew within the story.

It would be exciting to see how the show was received by its target audience. The ratings and its popularity would determine whether or not they got a second season, though the studio were pushing heavily for that after leaving season one on a cliffhanger. 

But even if the show was doomed to run only one season, Shiro was not too upset. Sure it would be sad to leave the story unfinished and he would miss the work and all the people he’d met, but that wasn’t what was most important to him.

Over the last few months Shiro had come to realize that his priorities had shifted. It wasn’t just about finding work to pay the bills and make a living anymore. Now he had someone he wanted to live for who gave him purpose and made him wake every morning with a smile. Keith had captured his heart from very early into their relationship, and these past eight months had established a solid base for them as a couple and hopefully the chance at a future together.

Shiro could deal with losing Voltron, but not Keith. He was in love with the man and wanted to spend his life with him - so long as that was what Keith also wished for.

They hadn’t said the big ‘L’ word yet though. There had been a few instances where Shiro had been sure Keith was about to let it slip, but it hadn’t happened yet. Shiro was okay with that. He’d settled into their relationship a lot more and wasn’t so nervous or unsure about things anymore. He just didn’t want to say that big important word too soon, for fear Keith might get scared off.

It seemed important that Keith be the one to say it first, so Shiro was prepared to wait as long as his boyfriend needed him to so he could find the courage. And then Shiro would return the sentiment and they’d laugh and share a moment and then probably get teased by the rest of the cast, but that was all part of the experience. 

Shiro would be happy so long as Keith was. Shiro would do anything for Keith.

So when he saw his boyfriend making his way through the crowd towards him the taller man politely excused himself and went to meet him halfway.

“Hey,” he greeted, tone soft and affectionate. His eyes drifted across Keith’s visage in his own very nice suit and he smiled. “You look great.”

Keith was glad when Shiro met him halfway, because it meant the kiss he greeted him with wasn't seen by the entire group. "Shiro." The way he said his name was loving, more damning than any three words. "Thanks. You look good, too." 

He knew Shiro would be able to pick out his nervous energy immediately, so Keith didn't bother to hide his thoughts. "I wanted to talk to you about something --" but he was cut off by a glass being tapped against to gather attention. 

Both men turned towards the front of the studio, where the director now stood with their glass raised. "Episode 1 starts in 5 minutes! Gather around!" 

Disappointment settled heavy in Keith's stomach, but he shook it off. "We can talk later. Lets go see the show." Keith promised with a shaky, nervous smile.

He didn't know how it would look when everything was wrapped up. He knew there was a lot of green screen, but everyone's acting would still be the main concern. As his first acting role, Keith hoped he wasn't noticeably worse than everyone else as he turned his attention to the TV.

Everyone started taking their seats quickly and Shiro was relieved to discover that the cast had the front row along with the director and other senior crew members. There were some murmurs of excitement as the house lights dimmed and opening credits began, and then everyone went quiet.

Shiro found himself captivated from the very beginning as he marveled at the musical score written to give Voltron its theme and presence, and the special effects that had been completed in post. While many sets had been physically constructed in the studio for the benefit of the actors, a lot of green screen had also been required - it was a sci-fi after all.

Shiro and the rest of the cast had simply become accustomed to the mass of bright green all around them whenever they were running through scenes, so to see the digital creations of the characters’ surroundings and all the detail was very surreal. He had worked with green screen before in his career, but never to this extent and it looked so convincing.

Their acting was good too, not to be too big headed, but it was true. The eight months they’d spent together had given them time to build up a real chemistry and rapport on set, and that translated to the story and the emotions of the characters as the episode rolled in front of them. As with the majority of productions the scenes had all been shot out of sequence and there had been many days where only certain cast members were required on set at certain times. So to see it now all stitched together in the correct order suddenly gave it a lot more context than simply reading the script had been able to provide.

It flowed well. It was funny where it needed to be, intense in the action sequences, and the mystery around some of the characters was intriguing. Just enough to hook an audience and make them want more.

Shiro especially enjoyed the scenes he shared with Keith and felt a warmth deep inside at the knowledge that the same gorgeous man he was seeing on screen was also sitting right beside him, who had captured his heart from day one.

When the pilot came to an end and the credits rolled there was a loud applause in the studio, followed by the director once again standing before them all and sharing some of his thoughts. There were some jokes thrown in that made people laugh, mentions of an occasional running gag or a few of the mishaps that happened along the way, and then another applause as the director thanked them all for their hard work.

And then that was that.

Voltron Legendary Defender season one was complete, and the waiting game began to find out if the series would get the green light for a second season.

Shiro turned to Keith as many started to leave their seats, eager to hear what his boyfriend thought of the finished piece. “I thought that was great,” he smiled. “What about you?”

Keith was quick to suck up the tears that wanted to fall, not because he was ashamed but because he didn't want to worry Shiro. The show had amazed him to be put simply. Everyone did an outstanding job of making the show come to life -- between the actors, the sets, the CGI, everything...and Keith had been lucky to be part of the process. He couldn't believe how blessed he felt now, sitting in the crappy foldout chairs with everyone else that had worked on the show. 

And Shiro right next to him. Everything felt right. 

Keith only hoped the show would come back, so they could make the magic real once more. He turned to Shiro and let his kiss answer for him, because at the moment words failed him. Finally, he did find his voice and said, "It was everything." 

When the crowd cleared out a bit more, Keith and Shiro followed, going around back to sit on the curb of the parking lot and finish the bottle of champagne Keith had swiped. Though to be fair, it was mostly Keith drinking, since Shiro had already had a good amount during the actual party. But Keith craved the liquid courage, even though all they were talking about was scenes that turned out especially good. 

"Hey, I wanted to tell you something." Keith swallowed down his fear and went for it once the conversation lulled. The night was alive with crickets, singing their songs while fireflies blipped in and out of existence around them in a soft, yellow glow. "And I'm sorry for not saying it sooner."

Things were a bit out of order for how he intended, but Keith couldn't last a moment longer with Shiro not knowing the truth. "I love you." He murmured, watching Shiro with that intense, dark violet gaze of his eyes. "I love you, Shiro."

And there was that word. The one Shiro had been longing to say to Keith for many months now, and the same one he’d desperately yearned to hear spoken from the other’s lips.

It made him tremble inside. His eyes teared up despite his desperate attempts to stop them. Keith loved him. Him. Broken, battered and scarred Shiro with all his emotional baggage and confidence issues.

Before he forgot how to breathe or function beyond just blinking like a moron he leaned forward and pressed his lips firm but gently against his boyfriend’s.

The kiss didn’t say half the things he wanted to, but it was a start and a step in the right direction towards what he knew to be true in his heart. “I love you too,” he nearly whispered, and his tears glistened in the dim light. “I have for a while now.”

"I wanted to tell you so badly but I was scared it was too soon." Keith admitted, the press of the kiss keeping his lips warm along with the sweet taste of champagne. "But I told you I wasn't scared anymore, right?" It felt silly to make a callback to the first day he had confessed his feelings, now, under the stars as they waited for their future to come find them, but Keith couldn't stop himself. He wanted to be brave for Shiro. 

"But, this...I wanted to tell you before this next part. To let you know I really mean it." Keith cleared his throat, nervous all over again despite his boyfriend's clear return of love. "If you've got nothing else to do these next few months we wait for season 2, I thought you, me, and Kosmo could take a trip together across the US. I know we talked a little about national parks and things we wanted to see..." 

"But even then, I -- Shiro." He was faltering now, struggling to tell Shiro something coherent for once. "I just want to be with you. With the man I love."

Shiro felt like he was on cloud nine. He honestly couldn’t remember ever feeling quite as happy as he did right now in this moment. His hands reached up and found Keith’s head, cupping it like it was the most precious thing in the world and pushing his fingers through his hair.

“I’ll go anywhere with you, Keith,” he whispered, tears still staining his cheeks from the sheer happiness rushing through him. “I want to do everything. Travel and explore with you, do all the mundane stuff like food shopping, go out to shows and events or just laze on the couch with a DVD or the Xbox. All that stuff, with you.”

He chuckled and sniffed. “Look at me waffling like this. Just as well we’re not on set or Trish would be yelling at me for smudging all her carefully applied make-up.”

"Good thing Trish ain't here." Keith smiled into Shiro's touch and leaned forward again to claim another kiss. He couldn't stop kissing Shiro, it felt, unable to believe that this love was something they shared. "It's just us Shiro." 

For as long as Shiro wanted him. Keith kissed him one last time before pulling back, but only because Keith wanted to get off the uncomfortable curb. "Hey. Let's go home." He whispered, curling his hand in Shiro's to tug lightly. "Wanna show you how much I love you." 

Finally, something that didn't need to be explained. Keith met Shiro's gaze with a devilish grin and tilted his head back to the trailers, drunk and in love.

Shiro’s body moved without him even having to think, the warmth in his chest and fuzziness in his head from the champagne making him giggle as he stood and followed his boyfriend back towards the trailers.

His boyfriend who loved him.

Neither of them cared if anyone saw them, or even bothered looking as they fumbled through the dark with only one destination in mind. Shiro found himself pressed up against a trailer he wasn’t even sure was his at one point and Keith was devouring his mouth like a hungry animal. Hands wandered, a few seconds of hips grinding together, and any thoughts of public decency were thrown straight out the window.

Then some clarity returned. They paused just long enough to stare into each other’s eyes - Keith’s glistened like polished amethyst and took Shiro’s breath away - and then they were stumbling into a trailer and Shiro had just enough presence of mind to flick the door lock on.

“I love you…” he whispered against the other man’s lips, a heavy lidded gaze watching beneath his long, dark lashes. The words he’d been dreaming of saying now slipped so easily from him and Shiro knew he’d never get tired of it. This was what he’d always wanted. Someone to love who loved him in return.

He honestly felt like the luckiest man alive right now.

Keith was a giggly mess by the time they managed to stumble into their (their!!) trailer. He wasn't sure what time it was or even if they passed anyone on the way back -- all Keith knew was that he wanted Shiro to feel loved in every bone of his body tonight. 

His hands were a little more lustful than his sweet mentality as they carefully peeled Shiro out of his clothing, all while Keith whispered 'I love you' like it was his last chance. Keith couldn't stop kissing him either, worked up from the excitement of the party and finally being truthful with his boyfriend. 

"You look so good in this." Keith finally managed to mutter, having unbuttoned all of Shiro's jacket and shirt. "So, so good. Wanna fuck you in it, ruin it, Some time. Not tonight." Keith mouthed at Shiro's neck and rolled his hips, intent clear by the hot press between their legs. "Wanna make love to you, Shiro."

Shiro let out a shameless little gasp as he was pushed against the wall, head tilted to accommodate Keith and his own hips moving to grind them together. Fuck, it was getting hot all of a sudden, his body starting to radiate with heat as his arousal grew.

He was already achingly hard and from the feel of it Keith was the same.

“Yes,” he breathed, followed by a soft grunt as their constant moving brought on another throb of pleasure. His hands found Keith’s amazing ass while his lips sought out his lover’s neck, upon which he trailed open mouthed kisses down as far as the shirt collar would allow him.

Shiro would have been ready to rip the fancy clothes from Keith’s body if it didn’t mean having to let go of that firm ass to do so. Keeping hold of Keith like this and using his grip to help pull him more firmly against his groin was a far more appealing option in that exact moment.

Keith was putty in his hands for it, squirming under the hungry touch. Shiro always made it well known that, even if he always wanted to be the bottom, he still could appreciate a good ass. Keith's ass. But their current position made it hard for Keith to pull his own clothes off so ...

He settled for finishing stripping down Shiro. Though the most he could do right now was unceremoniously shove his hand into Shiro's pants and palm at his cock. "Ready for me, sweetheart?" Keith cooed when he felt how hard Shiro was from their teasing alone.

Shiro’s forehead pressed against Keith as he breathed through those first flickers of pleasure from Keith’s hand. Skin on skin contact was always way better than anything through clothing. The level of intimacy in feeling the warmth of another’s touch without any barriers was something Shiro loved. 

And right now he craved Keith’s touch. All of it.

“You have to ask?” he breathed, then pushed forward slightly so he was no longer pinned against the wall. “But I want these off you first,” he whispered, and slid Keith’s jacket from his shoulders. It was so tempting to rip the buttons of the shirt apart but fortunately they came open with relative ease, and the light weight material fluttered to the floor with the jacket. Then Shiro’s hands were undoing Keith’s belt. He kissed him and gently pushed him towards their room. 

Keith was eager to follow Shiro's demands, and it wasn't long before they were tumbling into bed in a fit of laughter. Keith had managed to get Shiro down to his briefs easily, but he was having to jump and shimmy out of his skin tight pants. It wasn't sexy. But god it was loveable. 

"Hey." Keith greeted Shiro as he finally slid into bed. His hands went for his dick immediately, unsubtle, and it wasn't long before he was stroking his boyfriend off. "You wanna ride me? Just wanna see your face tonight." The way Keith was panting against his neck and leaking pre into Shiro's stomach said he'd be okay with just about anything tonight.

Those words were enough for Shiro. Through his own panting and shivers of arousal he moved his body and sat himself over Keith’s lap with surprising grace once his boyfriend was ready for him. Hands roamed flushed hot skin as he nudged at Keith’s face with his nose until his lover tilted his head back and Shiro could once again claim his lips with his own.

Their tongues danced, the sounds they made were erotic and beautiful, and Shiro lost himself to it for a moment.

When they were both suitably riled up and ready to go further the scarred man pulled back just long enough to reach into his bedside drawer for the lube. He used his prosthetic hand just to get the extra little thrill of the cold intrusion past his tight ring of muscle and worked himself open while they enjoyed more sloppy kisses, filthy but still perfect.

“Think I’m ready,” he murmured a moment later, lips trailing up past Keith’s eye and to his temple. He lifted himself slightly and removed his fingers with a soft gasp. 

"Sound ready." Keith secretly mourned the loss of his chance to stretch Shiro open, but was content to have been able to stroke his cock through it instead. Even though Keith hasn't given his own needs a single thought, he was hard and aching beneath Shiro. Watching Shiro bounce in his lap was one of Keith's favorite positions, and he knew immediately that he would have to be patient for the both of them if this was going to be lovemaking instead of fucking. 

Eyes fluttering shut at the sugar-sweet kisses to his temple, Keith refocused just long enough to grab his dick and slide into Shiro's welcoming heat. "Fuck." Keith panted once Shiro had all of him inside. "You're so beautiful, Shiro." And he meant it, leaning up and kissing Shiro as they both adjusted to the tight heat. 

It wasn't long before Keith got impatient, though, his hips rolling of their own accord. "I love you." Keith murmured as he thrust inside. "I love you so much, Shiro."

Shiro’s arms came around Keith’s shoulders to hold on, and he rocked down on his boyfriend with the soft lift moans and gasps he knew Keith adored so much.

“Me too,” he murmured, eyes fluttering shut as Keith took him. There was the same thrill and excitement they always experienced, but the change in pace and the weight of their confessions made it all feel so much more intimate. 

Keith rolled up into him as Shiro pressed down and they met each other beautifully every time, until Shiro was letting out soft cries as Keith found his most sensitive spot inside. This wasn’t fucking, it was love making and Shiro was blown away by how safe and secure he felt. How loved he felt. “So much…. Wow, baby…”

Keith soothed his hands down Shiro's back, to the underside of his thighs, holding him up as he continued to fuck into him. The noises between them were sloppy and wet, drowned out only by their panting and groans of pleasure. He could feel the press of Shiro's cock against his stomach, rubbing and making a mess the longer they went. 

As much as Keith liked this, Shiro was too tall to really look into his eyes. Keith was more so squished against his chest -- which normally wasn't an issue but Keith explicitly wanted to see Shiro's face as he came. 

So Keith stilled Shiro's frantic bouncing to flip them over so that Keith was back on top. He grabbed Shiro's legs, just a touch rough, and yanked him closer before fucking back into him. There was nothing more beautiful than watching Shiro come undone under the stretch of his cock. Keith groaned before reaching down to squeeze his messy cock. "Wanna ... Wanna see you come, Shiro."

Momentarily stunned by the sudden switch Shiro stared up at his boyfriend in surprise, face flushed and white bangs sticking to his skin. Then Keith was working back into him again and he moaned, loud and true, back arching up off the bed. His arms lay limp above his head while his legs did most of the work, squeezing and pulling at Keith’s hips.

His eyes closed as he lost himself, mouth fell slack with his unsteady breathing and a touch of saliva made the corner of his lips shine as their love making took him to heights he’d never imagined. Then Keith’s hand was around him and Shiro reached his limit.

He came hot and fast into those waiting fingers with a cry of rapture, expression open and raw with fulfillment that made him look divine. His body seized up as he spilled across Keith’s hand.

The world faded out of existence for a moment. It was just him and Keith and the pleasure of knowing they’d found love in one another. Shiro was in heaven.

Keith was content to watch Shiro go slack and soft under his touch, pleased as always to be the only one that could do this for him. "Baby, don't knock out just yet." Keith murmured as he continued to fuck him. There was the ever-present oversensitivity issue, but Keith knew Shiro was okay with it so long as Keith was close behind

Seeing Shiro relaxed like this and messy with sweat and come made Keith pleasantly close. He leaned down for a kiss and took Shiro's hands in his own, holding him down gently as they kissed and Keith found his own release. He trembled against Shiro, whining as he ground his hips harder until he was completely emptied. 

"Yes." Keith sighed against his lips, happy and warm still inside Shiro. "Shiro, you're amazing."

Still feeling perfectly fuzzy from his finish Shiro smiled into the kiss. “I know,” he breathed, then had a soft chuckle. “You’re better though.”

Their hands were still linked and Shiro gave Keith’s a soft squeeze. God, he was in love with this man. The feel of him inside and over him, his damp hair tickling his face, the taste of the salt on his skin… Shiro loved all of him.

He opened his eyes and dark obsidian met those amazing violets that reminded Shiro of the night sky, full of wonder that always left him captivated whenever they turned his way. Shiro would give anything to always remain under the gaze of those gorgeous eyes.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered. “You know that, right?” Shiro had always thought Keith was beautiful, but it was as he’d got to know him better and met the kind soul within that he truly believed that with all his heart. Keith had a natural beauty about him, not the delicate kind that was naturally associated with women, but the purest sense of the word.

His eyes, his smile, the way his whole face lit up whenever he laughed and the compassion Shiro knew he possessed. Keith was handsome, yes - gorgeous even - but neither of those words really did him justice in Shiro’s eyes. Beauty seemed to be the only word Shiro felt was appropriate for his lover, and he hoped Keith understood his meaning for what it was.

Another way of saying ‘I love you.’


	8. Chapter 8

3 months with only Shiro, Kosmo, and the open road was bliss. There were little scuffles here and there when one of them was hungry or thirsty, of course, but everything outside of that was perfect. 

They went North first, to the great lakes and then dipping into Canada before heading West to the great plains. Keith's flip phone died tragically on one rainy night but his new phone could now hold the hundreds of pictures he wanted to take so it was all for the best. 

They had a shared scrapbook for all the places they visited and by the time they were called to renew their contracts it was stuffed full with happy memories. Keith never remembered being so happy. 

Two weeks before they were due to return, Keith got a tattoo of one of the local constellations as a memorium, holding Shiro's hand tight the entire time it was carved into his skin. It was red and puffy, but it was as permanent as it got.  
Voltron's first season was a massive success. It was trending on Twitter, making the news, and selling out of toys worldwide. Shiro and Keith returned to Arizona as stars. Too bad most all their travels they had no service, and thus, no way of knowing ahead of time. 

Keith's newly set up Twitter came almost overnight to 100,000 followers. Shiro's was even more bloated. But neither of them really noticed at first because they had to find a flat to live in. 

But once they had a perfect flat for the three of them, it was time to face the music.  
Said music was a Voltron QA panel that -- where they had expected maybe 100 people -- over 600 people showed up. Some had posters and signs, others had cosplayed as them and were jiggling excitedly in their seats. 

Keith was overwhelmed. So much so he didn't even register the first question directed to him: 

"So, we all want to know -- is the romance between the characters just on the screen or is it alive on set too?" One reporter asked. 

When Keith just stared, dead eyed, they turned to Shiro instead. "The shipping hashtag for Ryou and the Altean princess has been trending ever since the season ended. What are your thoughts, Shiro?"

Shiro leaned forward a little to speak into his microphone, but could only smile when a bunch of the fans started screaming excitedly - it seemed that Ryou was very popular, and Shiro himself as a result, which the man found extremely humbling. 

“I’ve been away until very recently so I’ll admit I’m not fully up to speed on what’s been going down since the show aired, but I think it’s kinda cool that people who have watched the show are already this passionate about the characters and the story.”

More cheers which encouraged another of Shiro’s perfectly charming smiles. “As for Ryou and the Princess,” he shrugged, “who knows? They’re two very strong and independent characters with a lot of back story we’ve yet to discover, so it’ll be interesting to explore all that as we go on into a new season.”

When the reporter seemed satisfied with his answer they moved on to direct the same question at Allura, thus allowing Shiro to sit back and relax again for a few minutes. He felt like he’d answered that question well with an open response which the fans could take away and interpret however they saw fit.

The actors had all agreed not to share any spoiler information as part of their new contract, and the crowd sat before the panel seemed to respect that for the most part. 

It did make Shiro wonder what might happen in the future as the show grew more popular. Shipping wars could be a minefield and in many cases it was often wise to avoid them altogether, but as an actor it would be impossible to get away from the questions from any hardcore fans.

He turned to Keith and offered him a small smile as Allura shared her own thoughts of pairing her character with his, hoping his boyfriend wasn’t too bothered by such a personal question that had been hurled his way.(edited)

Keith met his gaze across the stage and smiled despite himself, not bothered by his response. If anything, it was a bit of a relief, because shipping stuff was out of his league. All he knew was that he loved Shiro. If that happened to bleed into the show, well...

"Keith, your character Akira is a bit of a hot-cold subject for the fandom." Another reporter quipped. He turned his gaze to her and frowned. "Should we expect him to soften up as the show continues?" 

"Um," Keith nervously cleared his throat, "I'm not allowed to leak any spoilers, so all I can say is that a big aspect of Akira is due to change." 

"Can you make any confirmation regarding the panel last week discussing the lack of LGBT representation in the show, as a member yourself?" The reporter pressed. 

Keith frowned even more before nervously glancing at Shiro, which the crowd immediately picked up. The crowd started to scream with their excitement, becoming unruly as Keith fought for a good answer. 

"I can't say anything about that, um, but know that we hope to put out positive messaging regarding that subject." Keith cleared his throat and squeezed his microphone like a lifeline. "Voltron is a show about discovery and hope. Romance is part of it, yeah, but -- um"

Keith faltered, saved by Lance yelling into the microphone, "Headcanons are free, people!" 

The vague response was enough to distract the crowd. Keith took it as his chance to sink low in his chair.

The questions went on and filled up the rest of the allocated time, with some interesting discussions and observations from a few fans which allowed the cast to have a bit of banter as they were filmed by countless phones to no doubt be posted on social media later on.

Lance and Pidge were very animated and took it all in their stride, which gave both Keith and Shiro a bit of breathing room. The shipping questions came and went as thoughts turned towards the other character, season one finale, potential plot development and of course the lions themselves.

By the time it was over and the actors were allowed to leave Shiro was actually quite relieved. He’d felt a little out of his depth after being out the loop for so long while he and Keith had been away on holiday, so some internet browsing of all the news and reactions from season one was a must for later on.

In the meantime he approached Keith, now within the safety of one of the back rooms that was off limits to any fans, and gently massaged his boyfriend’s shoulders. “How you holding up? We were thrown in the deep end a bit there, huh?”

"I'm holding up." The rest of the QA had blown by, especially when Pidge announced her engagement over the summer. Keith could barely remember it all and hoped he hadn't looked like a fool. 

"I didn't mean to throw you under the bus when I looked over -- I just wasn't sure -- those fans will take anything and run with it, won't they?" Keith pressed his forehead to Shiro's shoulder and sighed, once more glad it was over with. 

"I really need to talk to my agent if that's gonna be a regular thing." He finally mumbled, resigned. There was comfort to be found in Shiro's embrace though and he took advantage of it by leaning up and kissing his boyfriend. "Maybe if we tell the fans that we're together, they'll calm down." 

Keith's logic wasn't sound, but to be fair he wasn't thinking clearly at the moment.

Shiro wasn’t so sure. All the attention that would attract had the potential to cause unwanted stress for them as they got ready to begin filming season two, and it would put the whole studio under the microscope if fans got too obsessed on how two of its actors spent their time together.

He’d heard of it happening on other shows. A series was nothing without its fans, but those same fans could also ruin all the hard work put into a production if they didn’t approve of any relationships associated with the show, on or off set. 

It was a double edged sword really, and Shiro would honestly rather keep their private lives to themselves.

“Maybe,” he mused, though his heart wasn’t really in the idea at all. “I think speaking to our agents first is a good call. They’ll know what to do.”

"You're right." Keith could agree with that much. He thought back to their time on Avatar and wondered what the difference was -- were people that hungry for a new show? And Voltron was similar enough ... 

Still, Keith had been a VA and for a character already in an established relationship. It had to be a different mindset for the fans. 

"Well we got the rest of the night off and all I wanna do is take you home, make us food, and get us both into a nice, long steamy shower." Keith slid his hands into Shiro's back pockets and squeezed his ample ass, even knowing they'd likely be too tired to fuck once they got home.

Shiro hummed and kissed Keith’s temple. “I like the sound of that.” Any night in with Keith was always enjoyable, and after the QA Shiro wanted to make sure that Keith felt relaxed, so they could laze about or take to bed as much as his boyfriend wanted and needed.

“Let’s get going then. We can sneak out the back and head home.”

***

Their new flat was a nice one. Shiro had dipped into his savings so that between them they could afford to put down a deposit on one of the new builds. It was spacious, had two bedrooms, and best of all pets were allowed so long as they were well behaved.

That had been a must when they’d been looking at places. Even though Kosmo was an emotional assistance dog, some landlords still weren’t prepared to have any form of animal in their property. So the new builds allowing dogs had drawn the couple to it immediately.

Keith would no doubt cheer up once he got some cuddles from both Shiro and Kosmo, so Shiro wasted no time in walking them out to the back parking lot and to his truck. Boy, did it need a wash. After driving all across the country it had picked up a lot of muck and dust, and while it had been washed multiple times when they stopped off at places, Shiro hadn’t had the chance to get it cleaned up after the last leg of their trip back.

However, the muck on the normally shiny paintwork seemed to help disguise them as they left the parking lot. Many fans were wandering around outside the building and none of them batted an eyelid when the mud splattered truck drove past, because no self respecting actor of Voltron would ever drive around in something so dirty, surely! 

That made Shiro grin, though he knew the trick wouldn’t work forever. A chat with their agents was definitely in order to get some advice on their growing popularity.  
Keith made dinner while Shiro walked Kosmo, a domestic routine they were pleasantly used to by this point. The only difference this time was that Keith was out on the couch by the time they got back, the food carefully covered and left out on the kitchen table. 

He roused from his nap a mere hour later to drag Shiro into the shower, where they lazily made out until exhaustion well and truly hit them both and they went to bed. 

Keith woke up in the morning to what he thought was an alarm -- only to discover it was his Twitter notifications blasting through. He frowned at his phone while his eyes adjusted to the light then choked on what he saw. 

Notifications -- hundreds of them -- all linked to a single video someone had posted from the QA the day before. Gone was the Ryou/Princess trending hashtag, replaced now by the fandom's new front runner ship: #PrideShipping

Akira and Ryou were blowing up and it was all because real life gay Keith Kogane looked at real life gay Shiro. People were speculating to hell and back.  
Keith rolled over and wondered if, by closing his eyes, everything would go away

Shiro stirred as he felt Keith shift in the bed beside him, the insistant buzzing of his boyfriend’s phone continuing from where it had been dumped rather grumpily on the night stand by its owner. The sound caught Shiro’s attention slowly and he blinked into wakefulness, had a careful stretch and then turned his head.

The sight that greeted him made him smile. Dark hair scattered across the pillow like spilled ink, hanging down over closed eyes with long dark lashes and the adorable little grumpy frown Keith often wore when he was disturbed before he was ready to wake. Shiro didn’t think he’d ever get tired of waking up to such an image.

He untangled his left arm from under the duvet to reach for the water bottle he always kept at the side of the bed and had a quick drink - because that horribly stale taste that came every morning was just yuck - then he rolled over carefully and buried his nose in Keith’s thick hair. One of their usual morning greetings that had started up at some point while they’d been away on their travels.

“Morning, baby,” he murmured, voice still a little rough from sleep but full of love and devotion. “I think your phone is having a seizure.” His own was mercifully switched off, and little did Shiro know of the onslaught of notifications that awaited him as soon as he turned it on for the day. Ignorance truly was bliss.

Keith could never stay mad for long with Shiro greeting him like that. He smiled into the embrace and enjoyed the comfort for just another moment before admitting his wrongs. "My phone is going nuts because of us." 

Keith untangled them for just a moment to grab his phone, then rolled over and showed Shiro all the #PrideShipping content they had been tagged in. Fan art, video clips, season 1 essays ... It was a lot to take in and frankly it was overwhelming. "I'm sorry. I feel like I'm the one who made this mess."

Shiro flicked through the phone a bit, and wow there was a lot. Shiro knew fandom communities could be absolute machines when it came to generating content, but this was all a result of the QA - less than 24 hours ago! It was very humbling in a sense, but a few of the notifications were verging on stalker-ish. 

“Fans will be fans, I guess,” he shrugged, returning the phone to Keith so he could like back down. His hand found his boyfriend’s hair and began to play with it gently. “I wouldn’t worry too much. It’ll probably all blow over soon anyway.” His fingers twirled a few strands of long, dark hair between them. “Nothing to be sorry about either. We knew something like this may happen.”

"Hopefully." Keith grumbled as he fell back into Shiro's welcome embrace. He was grateful when he felt Shiro's fingers in his hair; it took everything in him not to purr. Was this heaven? 

"If it keeps going I want them to stop making me look like such a beauty queen. My eyes do not sparkle like that." Keith huffed with laughter. He hadn't gotten much of a look at the fan art, but enough to notice that while Shiro looked big, strong and handsome, Keith looked a little bit more like a gentle flower. 

He didn't work on those abs to be labelled as the bottom.

“An unfortunate stereotype you’ve been labelled with simply because I’m taller than you,” Shiro mused. He turned slightly so he could nudge their lips together in a soft kiss to distract his boyfriend. “Nevermind. We know the truth - that’s all that matters. I mean, I’ve lost count how many times we’ve had sex, and you’ve bottomed once. Fans will ship the pairing however they want.”

It had been during their trip that they decided to switch things up a bit in the bedroom department, mostly as an experiment to see how they both felt about it. The experience had been enjoyable of course, they’d found pleasure in each other’s bodies almost as much as the norm, but it had been agreed unanimously that they’d stick to their original set up going forward.

Shiro had always preferred to bottom anyway, so it was a win-win.

He could however see where Keith was coming from with the frustration at some of the artwork depicting him as a delicate flower, overly effeminate and very un-Keith-like. So what if he wasn’t the taller one in the relationship? Why did that automatically make him the bottom in the eyes of the fans?

More stereotypes they were unlikely to change without them making a public announcement to the world. Something Shiro didn’t fancy doing anytime soon. He liked their private lives to remain the way they were. Private.

"That's true. Maybe as the show goes on..." Keith gave a little shrug. So long as Shiro was put forward in a good light, Keith didn't care. Maybe he'd frown and scoff, but it was likely he'd forget about it by the end of day. If Shiro was disrespected on the other hand ...

Yeah, the PR team would be on that. With Keith as the spearhead. 

"You're right." Keith managed to smile at Shiro's assurance. The fans didn't know how much Keith loved to rock Shiro's world and that was fine by him. Eventually they'd go public - if some big news dropped or something - but for now that wasn't going to stop Keith from fucking Shiro against any surface his boyfriend asked for. 

Speaking of. Keith sighed at the reminder of his first bottoming experience and hoped he didn't look too dreamy eyed. Shiro hadn't enjoyed it anymore than Keith topping so they had agreed on leaving things as they were but ... 

Keith loved being a pillow princess, if just the once. Shiro knew exactly what he was doing, and Keith getting his ass pounded by the man he loved was everything he wanted and more. 

He wanted to ride Shiro one day. Maybe it would have to be a fantasy he lived through fan art.

Shiro noticed the look on Keith’s almost immediately, and the sigh that accompanied it was more than just a simple exhale of air. There was a reason behind it and it made Shiro curious. He tucked Keith’s hair away from his face and then propped himself up on one elbow, so he was partially leaning over his boyfriend.

Eyes full of concerned curiosity. “Keith? You’ve got something on your mind, haven’t you?” Shiro tilted his head a little while his thumb rubbed over Keith’s temple. “What’s up, love?”

Keith wasn't fond of keeping secrets from Shiro, but this was a small one that didn't seem too harmful. After all, Shiro hasn't particularly enjoyed topping so why bother him about it? Keith cleared his throat, nervous as he said, "It's nothing. Really." 

Shiro was always so good at seeing through him and Keith really hoped this wasn't one of those times. "I'm just hungry. For breakfast." He said lamely, moving to sit up and roll out of bed. Shiro, even being partially over him, still always gave his boyfriend an out at all times. 

He started to scoot from bed, then realized his phone had finally quieted. Thank god. "What do you wanna eat, Shiro?"

Shiro was a little disappointed that Keith had left the bed and obviously wanted to change the subject, but respected his boyfriend’s wishes and knew better than to make a big deal out of it. Keith didn’t respond well to constantly being pestered for answers, so Shiro could only hope that whatever was bothering him wasn’t serious and that he’d confide in him if and when he was ready to.

Until then he would be patient. ‘Patience yields focus’ and all that, as Ryou was always saying.

“Whatever you can be bothered making, baby,” he replied. He really needed to learn how to cook a bit better so he could treat Keith to breakfast in bed once in a while at the very least. While Keith obviously enjoyed cooking it wasn’t fair to leave all of their meals up to him all the time. Shiro wanted to contribute in some way too, beyond paying half of the rent and utilities.

"I feel like ... Waffles?" Keith suggested as he pulled on a pair of Shiro's underwear, too lazy to go find his own. He knew Shiro liked the possessive vibe it gave off, and he liked how comfy his brand was, so this was a win win. 

As Keith busied himself in the kitchen he couldn't help but wonder how Season 2 would go ...

Season 2 was a big one. It covered wormholes, mermaid planets, and a space mall. But it also covered a huge chunk of Akira's backstory. And in the end ... 

"When the Paladins enter the cockpit of the Black Lion, they find Shiro is gone. End scene." The writers all look up, obviously proud of their direction -- but Keith just feels icy. Shiro dies in season 2? The show writers never indicated that ! 

Perhaps they sense the tension sitting in the room, because one writer is quick to reassure them. "Please don't worry. We have Shiro return in a very dramatic way in Season 3. The fans - and us - love him and his character too much to drop." 

It helps Keith's tension a little but he can't help but look to Shiro for his reaction.

Beside him Shiro appeared to be equally as shocked. Killing his character off so early into a show had not been what he’d anticipated, and mention of a dramatic return actually left him feeling a little uneasy.

He wasn’t a huge fan of characters being killed off in a series only to later return in some shocking plot twist, as it often undermined all of the emotional subplot within that character’s story and development and generally left their alleged death feeling rather cheap.

There had been an old sci-fi show Shiro had watched as a kid which had done something just like that with one of his favourite characters. In the show the man was the hero of the hour before meeting an untimely death that had taken the audience completely by surprise and left the fandom in an uproar.

Protests had been held outside the studio and campaigns had started online to bring the character back, resulting in the studio eventually caving to the demands and writing a clone storyline into the plot. The fandom had rejoiced and the actor had been thrilled to make a return, so overall it had been the right decision, but Shiro wasn’t sure if the same would apply to Voltron.

That was of course assuming Ryou did actually die and wasn’t simply mistaken for being KIA, and had actually pulled off some miraculous escape at the last second, only to be separated from the other characters for a prolonged amount of time before making his return. To Shiro that would be preferable to him coming back from the dead, but it was all up to the writers at the end of the day.

Still, at least he knew he wasn’t about to be out of a job once they wrapped season two. It did make him wonder why the show was choosing to temporarily remove him from the main storyline though. Ryou was the catalyst that had brought the group together and kicked the series into gear - perhaps they were wanting to explore the other characters more and he was simply in the way?  
Would he be brought back but in a reduced capacity, just like the character in that old sci-fi Shiro had loved? Would he return changed or the same as when he’d disappeared? Would he be a clone, or maybe even a ghost?!

These were all hypothetical scenarios, and Shiro would just have to wait and see what Ryou’s fate was. Until then he would enjoy every moment of season two, just in case his days with Voltron were numbered.

“Killing Space Dad would be a bad idea,” Pidge commented offhandedly to his right, and Shiro noticed a few of the writers glance at each other at her bold statement. Pidge was undeterred. “I’ve seen the character polls and all the support Ryou has online. A lot of people can relate to him on an emotional or personal level because of what he represents.” She glanced his way. “Him and Shiro.”

One of the writers sent Pidge a polite smile, but it was strained. “Well, as we said, he’ll make a comeback in season three. We recognize his popularity and made the decision unanimously.”

Pidge shrugged and took a sip of her coffee.

“I’m interested to see what direction the character will take,” Shiro spoke up, eager to smooth over any building tensions. And Space Dad? Seriously? He was never going to escape that unfortunate nickname the fans had given him. All it did was make him feel old.

The Director decided to hold a read through of the first couple of episodes before they broke for lunch, and Shiro walked with Keith to the cafeteria - the rain was thundering down outside so their favorite little patch of grass across the parking lot was out of the equation. They picked a table and sat down with their lunch they’d brought from home, and Shiro slumped into the uncomfortable plastic chair.

“I thought I was going to lose my job for a moment back there,” he sighed, his mind still swimming with possibilities about Ryou’s fate. “My stomach dropped and everything. It was horrible.”

Keith couldn't help but feel similarly confused with Shiro once they settled for lunch. It made him briefly miss his smoking habit - which had been dead now for nearly a year - if just to calm his nerves. That, or being able to roll around with his boyfriend on the grass outside. Neither option was open, so it left Keith a wee bit cranky. Not that he would ever take that out on Shiro, who was the one out of all of them that should be angry. 

He cracked open his water bottle and gave a brief nod. "Your Agent would never let you come into something like this blind, but the writers didn't reassure you of your return in season 3 fast enough. Almost like they wanted to see your reaction to the idea or something - which, yeah. I agree with you and Pidge. Killing off Ryou is a bad idea for a lot of reasons, and not just because my boyfriend would be out of a job."

"Even if they bring him back in season 3, Ryou was capital to the team and to Akira's character especially. I'm going to feel lost on screen without you, even if you're not gone for that long." Keith paused to take a drink of his water, then ripped into the lunch that he had made the night before for the both of them. Shiro's lunch had carrot pieces carefully carved like hearts. It was so damn cute. 

"We can't do much as actors to change the writing, but if anyone could set them straight it would be your agent." Keith mulled over the thought for a moment. "Well, your agent and a bunch of angry fans. We need to make sure they don't bring you 'back' as like....cartoon ghost or something."

Shiro nodded. He was in complete agreement. “I’ll have a word with him about it at some point, but for now I’m not going to dwell on it too much.” He smiled and reached a foot under the table, then rubbed it affectionately against Keith’s ankle, hoping to cheer his boyfriend up.

They’d both been rattled by the writer’s decision with Ryou in the story, but Shiro didn’t want it to spoil their day. He still had a job, so he was just grateful for that, and season two looked like it was going to be exciting and a step up from season one with more intense action and fight sequences, and even more development for the characters as they continued their struggles.

“Hey, cheer up,” he said with a slight tilt of his head. “Not like I’m going anywhere. Let’s have fun for the rest of the day and forget about it. We’re doing a walk through after this and then some movement training with David. We can work off any pent up frustration then.”

The mention of the movement training did make Keith feel better if just momentarily. He and Shiro had plenty of time to work out over the summer and it meant that they both had new things to show David. "He's gonna be so impressed." Keith bragged, smug for half a minute. 

The only downside to practicing with Shiro in the middle of nowhere meant that a lot of their sparring ended in making out and or just straight fucking. Keith hoped he wouldn't have a Pavlovian response to going toe to toe with Shiro again. 

"Our first episode together ... Where I'll be saving you." Keith finally remembered from the read through, "didn't it come off as kind of romantic? I talk about how much you meant to me, how you saved my life, and then I save yours." Plus he would be controlling the Black Lion, which to that point had been Shiro's alone. "What do you think?"

Shiro considered the question as he munched on one of the delicately cut pieces of carrot his boyfriend had so lovingly prepared for him - it was a secret delight for Shiro that he was the only one to know of that particular soft side his boyfriend possessed. He was pretty sure Keith would die before letting someone like Lance find out about it.

“I’d say it’s romantic from what we’ve read so far,” he agreed, then grinned. “And if that’s not what the writers intended then they’ve really messed up. The shippers are going to go nuts, most likely.” He had another piece of carrot and shrugged. “The part with the Black Lion is an interesting twist, though given the strong bond Akira and Ryou have it’s not all that surprising that she would consider Akira worthy enough, so that fits in with the story so far.”

It was an episode Shiro was very much looking forward to seeing once it was complete, but the actual filming of it was going to be a little unusual. Akira and Ryou only shared the final scene together, so naturally only one of them would be getting filmed at a time. When Keith was doing his scenes all dressed up in his costume Shiro would either be called away to the second set for filming a different section, or possibly sitting in on Keith’s performance while feeding him the lines he needed to react to from behind the cameras.

He grinned again. “But yeah, it’s totally romantic and no one can tell me that those two aren’t pining for each other all the time.” He sent Keith a cheeky wink and nudged his ankle again. “Can’t say I blame Ryou, really.”

"Don't think we can blame Akira either." Keith grinned, unabashed in the way he let his eyes undress Shiro. "I missed seeing you in your Uniform, Mr. Black Paladin." Though at the moment Keith just looked like he wanted to see Shiro naked. 

"And those authoritative lines...wow. Did I ever tell you what those used to do to me?" Keith continued to tease. He reached forward and grabbed a spare carrot piece, nibbling on it with all the tact of a red light district lady of the night. It was ... Embarrassingly hot. 

"If it were me I wouldn't leave Ryou hanging for more than a season, is all I'm saying." Keith finished his bite of carrot and returned to eating his lunch.

Shiro chuckled. “Ryou appreciates it.”

***

After lunch they returned to the studio with scripts in hand and had a run through of some of the group scenes that would be coming up in season two.

Pidge was often caught giggling or grinning with excitement when Keith and Shiro had a moment, a fan of the pairing but also good friends with both of them now and so more than happy to watch them squirm and try not to be romantic on set.

There was plenty of laughter as they rehearsed and it was good to be back working together. Lance kept forgetting where his marks were, Pidge could barely keep a straight face half the time and Allura fumbled her lines so often with her Altean dialect that she ended up improvising just so she could get the stage directions done right.

The hilarity continued as they began their movement workshop with David, but he managed to coral them together after the warm ups for the most part. Lance did a bit of complaining though when they started a work out with boxing gloves and pads.

“Why do I have to be paired with Keith,” he whined. “He’s buffed up since last season.” A gloved hand was waved in Keith’s direction. “Shiro been feeding you his protein shakes or something?”

"You could say that." Keith grinned as he punched into the bag, ignoring Lance's squawk to keep pummeling. Shiro had helped Keith eat healthier during their summer together, so he was a bit buffer than the prior season. It wasn't really noticeable unless he took his shirt off though so it shouldn't be an issue for the show. 

He was in a good mood from joking around on set and everyone banding together. It was almost like there had never been a break at all, with how easy it was to talk to everyone. "If you're too scared to face me in the ring, just say so." Keith taunted. 

He took another shot at the punching bag, and the sound of his fist into the padding was like heaven. "Dude." Lance sighed, obviously rising to the fight. "Any day." 

So they went from trading punches against the punching bag to circling each other in the ring. Lance was fast and his aim decent but he had no power. Keith knew to take his time and each careful hit sent Lance back into the lines.  
"Shiro I need you to avenge me!" Lance complained when Keith had him pinned in a gentle hold on the floor. Keith sought out his boyfriend in the group watching and grinned when he caught sight of him. 

"Yeah, come show me a real workout." Keith taunted, licking his bottom lip without meaning to. He craved a challenge and Shiro was so good at giving him what he wanted.

Shiro smirked back at him, a pleased little shiver running down his spine at the way Keith looked at him. Hot blooded mischief and a need to show off a bit. Shiro was more than happy to join his lover on the floor and give the others a show, since they were among friends.

“Oi, only if you promise not to break my gym,” David called, which made the others snigger. “Or each other.”

“They’ll be fine, David,” Lance assured him. “They’ve already fallen for each other so it’ll be fine.”

Pidge rolled her eyes. “Dude, that’s awful.”

Shiro stopped in front of Keith and rolled his shoulders. “Okay, how d’you wanna do this?”

Keith was a decent fighter. He’d taken his training seriously in season one and Shiro had given him more pointers while they’d been away on their road trip. His strength was nothing to be sniffed at either and he had managed to pin Shiro down a few times, though there had often been raging hormones and desires that had distracted them both on those occasions. Winning a sparring match was the last thing on their minds whenever that happened.

Shiro was light on his feet with the power of solid muscle up top to throw around when necessary. His long legs could be used with devastating accuracy when he got serious, though he had never gone full out with Keith in fear of injuring his boyfriend. That was not a slight on Keith’s abilities - Shiro just couldn’t stand the thought of things going too far and Keith getting hurt because of him.

Keith was quick to rise to the challenge, throwing off his boxing gloves in favor for simple hand wraps. "First to the floor loses." It was their normal go-to for training and relatively safe; Keith didn't need to run the risk of getting hot and bothered in front of all his crewmates. 

He waited for Shiro to wrap his own hands before starting to circle about the ring. Rushing into Shiro was suicide - the best way to topple him was by surprise. Keith couldn't use his surprising strength anymore to catch him off guard, so he went for quick, loose jabs at him instead.

"You want that, Shiro? To show em What we can do?" Keith taunted with his fists up in defense. "You make a pretty sight out here, baby."

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Shiro retorted, and spun to perform a beautiful kick that connected his foot with Keith’s forearm. It was a glancing blow to start them off and Shiro landed lightly, hands coming up to block a few of Keith’s jabs as they moved across the floor.

“That’s more like it!” Pidge cheered, her phone out and recording. “Less flirting, more action!”

“How does he get his leg that high?” Hunk wondered aloud.

Allura was getting really pumped up watching the couple spar. “Take him down, Keith!”

It was fascinating to witness. The familiarity Keith and Shiro possessed for each other’s movements spoke of how much time they’d spent together, and they were lost in their fight which communicated their love through every kick and punch. An intricate dance of carefully calculated movements, settling into a rhythm they both found comfortable and more than put on a show for their friends.

Shiro was a sight to behold, his joy at having a lover whom he could comfortably train and practice with written all over his face, even as Keith successfully caught his ankle after his next kick. He withdrew with a gorgeous flip and went in again from a different angle, looking for a way to catch his boyfriend off guard just as Keith was doing with him. They were clearly having a great time, eyes bright and smiles pure.

It was probably just as well the fan girls weren’t around to witness it.

Keith was starting to feel the ache in his bones and knew Shiro was taking this seriously from how hard Shiro was hitting. God, he loved this man. But also - yeah, Keith wanted to win. 

Time to enact his plan. The next time Shiro grabbed his wrist, Keith spun himself in his grasp until they were chest to chest. Then he leaned up and whispered, so quiet no one else would hear, "If we didn't have an audience, I'd really see how flexible you are. I'd be good to know for later tonight, when I'm fucking you into our bed." 

He felt embarrassed even saying something so dirty, but Keith knew Shiro was weak for it. The idea actually wasn't half bad, and Keith was a sucker for calling anything 'theirs'. 

He pulled away abruptly and went for the legs in a low kick, confident he had won.

“K-Keith!” The high pitched spluttering of his boyfriend’s name was all Shiro could get out before he found himself sprawled on his back on the floor, all his martial arts training in how to land safely wiped clean from his mind. Blood flooded into his cheeks to turn them a deep red, along with his neck and even the tips of his ears.

How was he supposed to maintain any composure when his boyfriend came away with stuff like that?! In front of the others too! Even if they hadn’t heard it Shiro’s own reactions had probably filled in the blanks.

Making comments like that in the middle of a spar just to get the upper hand was a dirty trick. It was unfair and definitely qualified as cheating.

And it was so fucking hot!

Shiro couldn’t wait for Keith to follow through with those words later that night whenever they got home. But for now all he could do was stare up at his lover with his adorably wide eyes, still red in the face and looking like a right dummy on the floor as Keith stood over him in a victory pose. Cocky bastard. Shiro was so going to get his revenge for that.

The others were in an uproar of hilarity, Pidge beyond delighted at catching disaster gay Shiro in all his blushing glory on camera while Hunk let out loud wolf whistles. Even David was laughing.

Keith stood over Shiro with his hand on his hip and the other combing back his bangs in a disastrously hot motion. "Good round, baby." He grinned down at Shiro before offering his hand to help him up. "I'll make it up to you tonight, promise." He added with a wink, laughing when Shiro stood and sputtered even more. Shiro was too easy to tease and god he loved him all the more for it. 

Keith turned to Pidge, aware she was taking a video, and offered a middle finger at her laughter. It was all in good fun, especially when he grabbed Shiro's shirt collar and gave him a sugar-sweet kiss. 

Yeah, he'd definitely have to be extra good to Shiro tonight. 

"Thanks for playing along." Keith muttered all the same, hoping his boyfriend wasn't made. This was prime material for teasing, after all, though everyone present knew that had the fight gone on for any longer, Shiro would have won.

With his pride a little bruised and his cheeks still burning Shiro folded his arms and huffed. As with everything else it was all good fun but it allowed him to regain a bit of his composure by pretending to be cross with his gorgeously sly boyfriend.

“You’d better,” he said, peeking back at Keith with one eye open. “I expect to be spoiled. I want dessert with ice cream tonight, a massage and I’m going to make you sit through at least one Star Trek movie.” He smirked. “Maybe after all that I’ll find it in my heart to forgive you.” 

The chances of all that stuff actually happening were slim, however. Keith was probably going to jump Shiro the second they got home and Shiro was honestly fine with that. For now though he should probably start focussing on their movement training again. David looked like he wanted to get them back on track with what they were supposed to be doing, and the others had calmed down now.

Realising that the attention was no longer on the two of them Shiro nudged at Keith gently with his hip, sent him a dazzling smile and then wandered off to get his water bottle.

When Shiro finally came back with two water bottles in hand, Keith knew he wasn't in real trouble. All the same, he really wouldn't mind cooking something sweet and buckling down for a movie. Whatever made Shiro happy - and maybe a little horny. 

If they got into massage territory Shiro would be begging for Keith by the end of the night. 

He grinned as he swallowed down a drink of water, attention finally turning back to David and his instructions for the upcoming scenes. It was a long, tiring day, and Keith was so grateful when they finally got the okay to hit the locker rooms.

Keith stripped down with no remorse before hurrying into the first open stall he could find. Hunk and Lance weren't far behind, chatting happily about their summer adventures. 

"The fish was big enough to swallow me!" Lance swore as he turned on the water. "Dude you've got to come and visit sometime." 

"I'm not really into fishing, but that sounds awesome." Hunk shrugged as he lathered up. "I just laid out on the beach." 

"I'd get so bored." Keith laughed. "But that does sound nice - to get to relax like that." 

“Sand gets everywhere,” Hunk sympathised. “That’s why I always take a deck chair. After my cousins buried me when I was asleep I vowed to never lie on a beach towel again.”

The conversation continued to flow as easily as the water pouring from their shower heads, with fat clouds of steam swirling lazily through the air. Shiro washed quickly and then wrapped a towel around his waist, grateful to be clean again after the work out they’d all had.

He’d brought a second towel with him and flung that over his back and shoulders in an attempt to hide some of his scarring from the others when he left the showers. Keith knew every scar and had them memorised by now and Shiro was fine with that, but he didn’t feel quite as comfortable about others seeing the marks on his skin.

He went back to the changing rooms and got dried and dressed quickly, just pulling his top on as the others emerged from the showers. Keith looked divine as ever with his skin flushed from the hot water, and Lance was squeezing at one of his biceps with a pout on his face.

“Totally not fair,” he complained. “I kept up my training during the break and I’ve got nothing to show for it.” He flexed his own arms. “I mean, there’s some strength there but they don’t show up. Feel it? I have got some muscle.”

“We believe you, Lance,” Hunk chuckled. “Watch you don’t hurt yourself.” 

“Hunk!” Lance squawked, then spotted Shiro and sighed. “And then there’s Shiro, blessed with amazing genetics of Greek mythology.”

Hunk shook his head in amusement and went to his locker. “Careful what you say or Keith might get protective. He’s already kicked your ass once today in training.”

"Hey. I'm not an animal." Keith pretended to be wounded by Hunk's comment, then chuckled once they both shot him an indignant look. He dropped his towel with the rest of them and dressed, wanting to join Shiro as soon as possible to go home. Once he had his briefs on, Lance gasped. 

"Whoa, new tattoo?" He asked, pointing to Keith's arm. 

"Oh, yeah. Got it during the summer." Keith grinned at the fond memory of Shiro helping him pick the design and then holding his hand during the inking. "I wanted to have something to remember the trip by. Shiro helped pick it out, if you want to dole out compliments."

"Of course he did." Lance rolled his eyes, fond of his friends but sometimes astounded by their sappiness. "You two are like a married couple already. Did you get a matching one, Shiro?" 

Keith blushed at the callout but didn't deny it, taking the time to shove on his jeans and shirt.

“I didn’t,” Shiro answered truthfully. He’d never considered the idea until Keith had mentioned wanting to get one while they’d been away, and had been more than happy to sit and support his boyfriend as he received the new ink. But getting one himself - that was something Shiro would need a lot more time to think about.

He didn’t say anything about the married couple remark and waited for Keith to finish getting dressed, then bid the others goodnight. It had been a long day and he was tired. He just wanted to go home and spend time with his boyfriend, sprawled out on the sofa in front of a movie with some tasty dessert and hopefully then a bit of making out that would maybe lead into something even more delicious if they weren’t feeling too worn out.

Shiro didn’t mind what they did so long as it was together and made Keith happy.

Keith obviously had the same mindset because as soon as they got home and walked Kosmo, he told Shiro to pick a movie for them while he made dinner. It wasn't anything fancy - just some leftover pork and rice - but it was still good. 

As soon as the good was gone Keith was cuddling into Shiro's space, hands gently squeezing his sides where his hands rested against Shiro's waist. 

"I promised you a movie ... A massage ... And dessert, right?" Keith finally asked near the end of the movie. "Which one do you want next, sweetheart?"

“Hmm, decisions, decisions,” Shiro smiled, stretching a little and then muffling a chuckle as Keith’s hands lightly tickled his sides. “What kind of dessert type stuff do we have? I know there’s that vanilla ice cream we bought in the freezer still. Anything that can go with that?”

While Shiro was something of a health freak and always kept himself in perfect shape with a well balanced diet, whenever he did decide to treat himself to something with a million calories and enough sugar to rot teeth he always indulged. Go big or go home, as the saying went. A super fast metabolism also helped him get away with it.

If they had anything that would provide the opportunity to feed each other than that would be an extra bonus. Shiro was all for the romantic things, and he could get away with being corny now that it was just the two of them.

"Mm." Keith hummed in thought before pulling himself from the couch to go look. He came back victorious, with a box of brownie mix from the closet. "We can have this if we both stick to two serving sizes." 

When he got the okay from Shiro, Keith started to bake while the movie ran in the background. It was just starting to roll credits by the time he had the batter in a pan in the oven. It was a thick, creamy kind of brownie that would take awhile to bake and, most importantly, was delicious as batter. 

Keith ran a finger along the top of the bowl and sucked off the chocolate he caught. "You want to lick the spoon, baby?" He asked, completely nonchalant as he got another taste.

“Damn right I do,” Shiro said, appearing quickly from the living room. The spoon was accepted with a grateful smile and Shiro leaned back against the counter as Keith continued to clean up the bowl with his finger.

“This takes me back to when I was a kid,” he admitted, recalling fond memories with his grandparents, who had raised him. “Getting the bowl and spoon after any baking was always the best bit. Grandma never washed the bowl until I’d had it.”

Shiro didn’t make a habit of mentioning his family too often, partly because he knew Keith still struggled with the loss of his own father and also because it had been a long time since the last of Shiro’s family had passed away and he had had his time to grieve. He would have liked to have been able to introduce Keith to them - Shiro suspected his grandmother would have adored his boyfriend and probably spoiled him rotten at every opportunity. She’d been that kind of woman.

With that little thought Shiro licked the last of the mix from the spoon and went to deposit it in the sink. He returned and kissed Keith on the temple. “Thanks, love.”

Keith laughed softly as Shiro kissed him, making Shiro pull back so he could wipe away the residue chocolate around his lips. He started with his thumb but then thought better of it, catching Shiro by his hips and kissing the chocolate off him. Or ... Making a bigger mess, more likely. 

Whatever. 

Keith licked his lips when he pulled back, clearly pleased by his work. "I'll gladly take up the sacred duty of spoiling you rotten." He meant it as a tease, but his next words were softer, more serious. "Anything you want."

Shiro chuckled. A warm, light hearted sound that was so very endearing. He hooked a finger over the neck of Keith’s shirt and traced over the top of his boyfriend’s collarbone, then let his hand slide up the side of his neck to tuck strands of soft dark hair behind his ear.

“What about you?” he asked, and the question was genuine. “What can I do for you in turn, love. It can’t always be about me with everything. I want to be able to spoil you just as much.”

Keith looked genuinely startled by the thought ; as if the idea of Shiro spoiling him was so foreign an idea. But Shiro spoiled him often, and well, so there was no reason for Keith to be so shy now. Except ... He knew what he wanted Shiro to do. It was just asking for it. 

"Being with you is reward enough, Shiro." Keith promised, ever proud and loud about how much he loved the other man. "You mean everything to me. And I don't mind spoiling you -- seeing you happy makes me happy." 

"But..." Ah. There it was - Keith's hesitance. He swallowed hard as Shiro stood there, hands in his hair and eyes trailing down his body. How did he so effortlessly make Keith weak in the knees? Keith fumbled as he finished, saying, "Just once more, maybe - maybe you could top?" 

"I just -" Keith quickly backtracked, face a blooming red, "Not if you don't want to, I just wanted ... Maybe once more. To. I want to ride you. This time. Is all."

Something in Shiro’s eyes lit up at the request, possibly because he could see Keith’s nervousness and it was rather adorable. He was quick to try and soothe his boyfriend as his thumbs rubbed his temples while Shiro’s lips once again kissed him on the brow.

“If that’s what you’d like then I’m more than happy to do it,” he said with open honesty. “I didn’t realise you liked it that much last time we tried, but I guess I was wrong.” He chuckled softly, thrilled that Keith had found the confidence to bring the subject up. “Whenever you want, love. But maybe after brownies if it’s tonight?” He grinned like the big idiot in love that he was.

"You could tell I was holding back, huh?" Keith smiled fondly at the way Shiro was able to read him so easily, an ability that was gained only by time and trust. It made coming clean all the easier -- and considering Shiro was willing to go through with it, Keith felt silly for holding it in. 

"I - we can see. After brownies." Keith kissed his boyfriend for good measure and led him back to the living room. They played with Kosmo and cleaned up to kill some time while the brownies cooked, the both of them taking turns to check on him because they were so impatient. 

Waiting for them to cool was the hardest part, but once Keith got his two servings on his plate he couldn't be happier. They cuddled on the couch and watched another episode of tv while they ate, then cleaned up in the kitchen and snuck a few more pieces of the delicious treat. 

By the time Keith was sprawled out in bed he was exhausted and pleasantly full. "Mm." He groaned as he stretched, but still left enough room for Shiro to slide in beside him. "We needed a quiet night in. I feel so relaxed."

“Definitely,” Shiro agreed without hesitation. He slid under the covers and snuggled up to Keith’s back, letting his right arm lie over his boyfriend atop the covers - Shiro was always careful not to disturb Keith with the cool metal of his prosthetic if he could avoid it. 

He nuzzled into the unruly dark hair at the back of Keith’s head and sighed. It seemed both of them were more than happy with Shiro being the big spoon tonight, at least for the moment. Shiro was a very still sleeper, so once he found a comfortable position he rarely moved again until morning. And lying up close to Keith like this was very comfortable. 

“I feel like I could sleep for a week now after those brownies,” he murmured with a smile. “We really pigged out on them but it was awesome.” Another kiss to Keith’s hair. “Thanks again, love. You’re the best, you know that, right?”

Keith let his fingers lace with Shiro's own, snuggling as close as he could. The cool touch was nice in a warm, shared bed like this so he wasn't going to shy away. "Mm ... I know." 

He only let the smug tone show for a moment. "I love you, Shiro. I never want this to end." It was only a little over a year since they started dating, but Keith knew - he knew Shiro was going to be the man he married one day. 

It was just a matter of finding out if Shiro felt the same.

Shiro let out a happy hum and closed his eyes as Keith’s words were draped over him like the softest of blankets. “I love you too, so much.”

Shiro’s thoughts were running along a similar line to Keith’s. He saw his future in Keith, and as long as his boyfriend was happy then Shiro would do whatever he could to protect their relationship and encourage it to grow even further. He wanted Keith to be beside him, holding his hand and smiling his beautiful smile at him for all of their tomorrows.

The thought was soppy but genuine, and it made Shiro cuddle in a little bit more. He felt perfectly content. This was where he was meant to be.


	9. Chapter 9

Keith was the first to wake in the morning. They had shifted a bit during the night - as they always did - but Keith still remained happily buried in Shiro's embrace. He turned his head to get a look at the clock on the wall before shuffling closer. It was early. They still had plenty of time to get ready for work. 

Sometimes when Keith woke early (which didn't happen often) he liked to listen to the sound of Shiro's heartbeat. The gentle thump of it against his chest was soothing in a way Keith would never really understand. Being pressed to Shiro's chest, as a whole, was an enjoyable experience. 

With his face pressed into Shiro's chest, Keith ran his hands up and down his side, listening to the heartbeat and Shiro's slow breathing. He was content with it until he remembered their agreement from the night before - then Keith's sleepy brain registered that he was hard and aching between his legs. Normally Keith would just go take a cold shower to get rid of it, but ...

Shiro was right there. 

Keith let his hands skim from Shiro's waist to his nipples, thumbing them teasingly as he bent his head and kissed Shiro's neck.

The touch made Shiro’s nipples perk up and he stirred with a faint hum, his body shifting gently against Keith’s as he became aware of the teasing touches. Sporting his own morning wood it didn’t take long for his brain to catch up with what was happening, and that hum turned into a soft moan of sleepy appreciation as his eyes fluttered open.

His right hand slid down Keith’s back to have a squeeze at his perfect ass, and then in a move that came almost as naturally as breathing Shiro half rolled on top of his boyfriend. Now that he was starting to wake up more the idea of some lazy morning sex sounded wonderful, and Keith certainly felt keen. Shiro tested that observation by trying a few slow rolls of his hips down against his lover’s, and he smirked when he heard one of those tiny little secret gasps Keith would often make whenever they were intimate.

God, how Shiro loved those sounds.

This morning was off to an amazing start already.

Another roll of his hips and then he paused to reach for his water bottle on the nightstand, having a sip to freshen his mouth while Keith was forced to wait. It seemed only right since he was the one who’d woken Shiro up when he’d been sleeping so innocently. The scarred man wasn’t above getting revenge in his own way, though they both knew he’d never tease Keith for too long.

Finished with his water Shiro put the bottle back on the nightstand and finally looked down into Keith’s beautiful amethyst eyes. The rigid heat of their cocks pressed between them through the thin material of their briefs made Shiro grin like a wolf. He could feel exactly how hard Keith was. “Morning, baby. Is someone feeling a bit needy this morning?”

"A little." Keith gasped, unashamed in the way he woke Shiro and hopeful that it would result in something for the both of them to enjoy. Judging by Shiro's confident grin, Keith was about to get exactly what he asked for. And with as hot as that was, Keith couldn't help but feel proud of Shiro and how confident he was these days. 

It was all too easy to remember how shy Shiro had been during their first few times together - hesitant to undress and even slower to state what he really wanted. Now, it was obvious that he felt more comfortable both with himself and with his needs. 

Keith smiled fondly against their first kiss, feeling sappy all of a sudden. God, he loved this man. 

"I wanna make good on what we talked about yesterday." Keith murmured when they pulled apart, quick to roll his hips in urgent pleading. "I want to feel you inside me."

He pushed his hands down to match Shiro's earlier move, cupping his full ass and grinding them together. "That okay, sweetheart?"

Keith’s enthusiasm and his bold hands made Shiro feel empowered. His boyfriend knew exactly what he wanted and he never minced his words. It was just another part of Keith’s character that Shiro adored.

Yes, there were times when he could be a bit hesitant to open up about the more sensitive topics - understandable, really - and there were times when he’d try to change the subject if his confidence wavered. But each time Shiro managed to convince him to share those thoughts Keith never once beat around the bush.

Sometimes he just needed that little bit of extra reassurance before those blunt and to-the-point words came out, and Shiro loved that and being the only one who could get those precious words out of his boyfriend.

And now, seeing and feeling Keith hot and flushed beneath them as they lazily dry humped in bed made Shiro love him all the more. So he leaned down and ghosted his lips against the other’s in the lightest of kisses, while all of his strength went into the push of his hips. 

“Like I’d ever say no to you.” It came out as a whisper, already a little breathless with anticipation, and Shiro’s left hand slid down Keith’s body, ready to rid him of his briefs as soon as he demanded it.

"Never hurts to ask." Keith assured him with a quick kiss, smiling and cocky until Shiro's hands dug into the fabric of his briefs and tugged. Then he was breathless, needy as he lifted his hips and let Shiro help him undress. Shiro was next, until there was nothing but skin between them. 

The vestiges of sleep were slow to leave Keith, keeping his sleepy temperament at war with his body's almost desperate hot need. But all he wanted to do was make out with Shiro while they rutted together, so that's what they did for a few minutes until Keith couldn't concentrate any longer due to the wet press of their cocks together. 

"Fuck, sweetheart," Keith panted, "you want this as bad as me, don't you?"

“Yeah,” Shiro breathed, his lips light but hungry against Keith’s skin. “Yeah, baby…. Fuck.” Words failed him in that moment as the fire in his veins and ache of need ruled his thoughts. He wanted to make Keith scream, watch him unravel and feel him tense and spasm around him with fulfilment.

He wanted to leave no doubts that he would do anything for his lover, and Keith’s little confession about wanting to ride him had gone straight to Shiro’s head.

They were already moaning and letting out soft little gasps that were full of filth but oh so perfect, and Shiro was eager to have his way with his boyfriend’s body if it meant pleasing Keith. 

But a question first. “How d’you want me, baby?” The words were breathed against Keith’s ear before Shiro had a gentle nibble at the lobe. Keith always asked that so now Shiro made sure to do the same, still rutting hard against his lover.

Fuck, Shiro was really going to make him say it huh? Keith swallowed his worries and just went for it, knowing that Shiro just wanted that initial confirmation. "Wanna ride you." Keith mumbled. His breath caught at a hard roll of Shiro's hips and suddenly he was shoving his boyfriend off to lean against the bed's headboard. 

The shove wasn't meant to be something that kept them apart, though. No, the way Keith was approaching Shiro said that he had no intention of something like that. He rested his hands atop Shiro's spread thighs and spread them even more before climbing into his spot. 

Because this was his place - no one else was allowed to have Shiro like this, not while Keith lived and breathed. Keith leaned forward to kiss Shiro, excitement making his kissing clumsy and biting.

Shiro took every nip of teeth and scraping of finger nails in his stride and responded with equal fervor. His arms wrapped around Keith to contain his near feral lover and soon his natural hand slid down past the small of his back to the perfect swell of his ass.

He felt Keith suck in that first nervous gasp against his lips as a finger probed gently at his entrance, slicked up with lube he’d somehow managed to reach from down the back of the mattress - shoved down there against the wall so they never had to go raking through drawers to find it. 

Shiro was very careful as he prepped him, but Keith’s urgency and frantic movements made it difficult until Shiro used his strong prosthetic arm to carefully pull his boyfriend right against his chest. It stopped Keith’s squirming for a moment and Shiro let out a soft growl of victory. He knew how much Keith appreciated his large muscular body taking charge from time to time, just as he appreciated the surprising power Keith possessed in his smaller, but still perfectly sculpted frame.

One finger became two and then three inside of him. Shiro knew all about prep work. He knew what felt good, and although they’d only swapped once before, he knew what Keith liked. His skilled fingers were very efficient in opening him up just enough without causing any pain, and once Shiro was satisfied he yanked those fingers free just so he could hear Keith’s shocked whine as he was suddenly left empty.

“I got you,” Shiro murmured, pupils filling his eyes as he gazed at the vision that was Keith’s sweaty, flushed face. It didn’t take much to pull him up and position him, Shiro’s cock standing to attention and flushed red with anticipation, and then at last, finally, he was pushing his way inside.

The first slide of Shiro's cock burned, even with all the prep, but was smoothed out quickly enough when Shiro kept his self-made rhythm. Keith groaned into it regardless, immobile as he tried to get a grasp that this all was really happening. 

A gentle press against his prostate woke Keith right up. 

He pressed his hand to the swell of Shiro's right pec in a silent plea for stillness. Once Shiro stopped, Keith took action. He was rusty, and awkward, having never done this before, but his enthusiasm made up for everything. Keith leaned back and grabbed Shiro's thighs to anchor himself, then used that to push himself up and then down. 

One successful bounce and Keith was already giddy with the possibilities. He reached back and smoothed down his hair, pinning Shiro with that ethereal violet gaze as he fucked himself down again and again.  
Eventually he would get to the good, air-stealing riding, but for now he was content to grind and watch Shiro go breathless.

“Fuck, baby…” The words came out as mere breaths as Shiro watched Keith move over him, his tight heat already feeling so amazing and promising to get even better as his boyfriend found the right balance and pace.

Keith looked a real vision. Stuffed full, flushed skin and that wild hair all mussed up, with those gorgeous violet eyes shimmering deep enough that Shiro felt he might fall into them and drown. He bit his lip and focussed on staying as still as possible under Keith’s direction. It was so hard not to rock his hips up and meet his lover half way, to build and shape the pleasure into something mind blowing the way Keith always managed when he topped.

The first soft moans started to slip from slightly slack lips as Shiro let himself begin to unravel. He remained stiff and wanting while he watched Keith grow in confidence, a beautifully erotic picture that was forever carved into Shiro’s mind.

He craved to touch, to squeeze and push, bite and taste. To lick his way up the hot skin of his lover’s neck and suck a dark mark into his fair skin for all to see and know that Keith was his and he was Keith’s. But for now he had to be patient and wait until Keith either grew tired of doing all the work himself or asked for help. Then Shiro’s arms would be around him once more and he’d pound up into Keith’s tight heat for all he was worth and give him the pleasure he deserved.

“K-Keith…” he stammered as his eyes fluttered shut, head tipping back until it hit the headboard with a gentle bump. His hips started to rock of their own accord, tiny fractions of movement in a bid to chase and increase the raging lust that was now rushing through his veins.

There was no sweeter sight than seeing Shiro lose himself. Keith could feel the rough hardness of him inside, begging to be allowed anything harder than the tiny movements he offered now. And keith did appreciate Shiro's patience - so he rewarded him. 

"Good boy." Keith praised, proud of the groan it dragged from Shiro. "Fuck, you feel amazing, Shiro. C'mon. Fuck me." He goaded without second thought, ready to lose himself in the fantasy he had been building for months. 

He pressed himself down hard on Shiro's cock and groaned with the heat of it, picking up a pace that quickly left him breathless and aching. Without knowing how to ask, Keith could only imagine how good it would feel to have Shiro's hands on his hips, his chest, his thighs, demanding more from Keith.

He didn’t have to wait to find out. As soon as permission was granted Shiro’s hands were moving, his long fingers spread wide as he ran them up over Keith’s tones thighs and found his hips, then round to his ass. He squeezed like he’d craved to and started to guide Keith’s movements, adding his own strength to lift him higher and pull him down further on his dick.

Then he started to thrust. Hard. Keith clearly wanted it that was so Shiro wasn’t about to disappoint. Each sharp jolt of his hips brought a new wave of ecstasy that they quickly became lost in, and the silence of their flat was filled with their desperate moans, grunts and the occasional breathy cry.

Those noises from Keith were like liquid gold to Shiro’s ears, wonderful sounds that he’d never tire of hearing. The bounce from their mattress beneath them aided their frenzied coupling and Shiro was so grateful for having a strong core with rock hard abs so he could keep his lover satisfied. He nipped at Keith’s collarbone when the younger man’s cries seemed to ease off for a few seconds. Shiro wanted to hear him as he unraveled, to see and hear Keith drunk with lust and begging for more.

“You’re amazing,” he breathed, then grunted and changed his angle slightly. “Wanna hear you… Fuck, baby, you’re so tight!”

Keith had gone quiet only because he was so fucking overstimulated; the feeling of Shiro's hands against his skin in addition to the pound of his cock inside was enough to make Keith go mute with pleasure. The encouragement from Shiro was enough to wake Keith, though, and he gasped aloud in response. 

Shiro wanted to hear him?

Okay. Keith could manage that. On the next slide down, Keith dug his fingers into the skin of Shiro's shoulders, giving himself leverage as he fucked himself on Shiro's cock with reckless abandon. It was easy to chant Shiro's name like that - stuffed full, Shiro was all Keith could think about. 

He craved it; the burn, the pleasure, the wet sounds of their fucking. It was everything he remembered and more because Shiro knew how badly Keith wanted this. The exertion was there, in the sweat on his body, the loving gaze in his gray eyes, and the desperate cling to Keith. 

God, Keith loved this man.  
Whispered it to him as he took and took and took. "Sweetheart -" Keith panted, "I'm gonna - fuck - I'm gonna cum - touch me Shiro, God, please i want to feel you all around me, in me, I love you I love you -" 

He continued to blather it, legs trembling as his whole body demanded release.

Shiro’s left hand wrapped around him and rewarded him with several firm strokes, his thumb rubbing over his tip as he kept rutting up into him. Keith’s sounds, his desperate pleas to finish him off and overwhelm his senses - Shiro would never get enough of it.

As they were now he couldn’t believe he’d put this off in the past. He’d told Keith early on that he preferred to bottom, but with Keith like this that opinion went straight out the window. Just being with him, in any capacity, was everything Shiro could have ever dreamed of.

He loved Keith and Keith loved him in return. Shiro would do anything to keep him happy, and continue to see this beautiful being in such a state of heated arousal whenever the feeling took them.

He started to let his grunts out more freely as they chased their own blissful demise, trailing open mouthed kisses and nips up his lover’s neck. Tasting the salt of his sweat and worshiping the heat that radiated from him.

“Come on, baby,” he gasped. “For me.” Shiro could only hold on for so much longer. He wanted them to finish together.

Keith met his end with a supernova burst; he clung to Shiro with a silent scream, spurting his cum over their abs and chests in stripes of hot white. Stars burst behind his eyelids when he closed his eyes and Keith lost himself to it, for just a minute. 

He tightened around Shiro in a silent plea to finish, wanting to feel filled in the best way possible. Still oversensitive, Keith rocked back slowly, too drained to really slam Shiro for any longer. 

"Please...Shiro..." Keith begged with a sigh.

All it took was two more jerks of Shiro’s hips and he filled Keith in a hot flood, breathing out a heavenly groan and grazing his teeth against his boyfriend’s shoulder as he finally came. His white bangs clung to his skin, his heart was thudding in his ears and the way Keith had clamped around him before relaxing was delicious.

His arms supported Keith as he slumped, kept him upright and let him rest against his broad chest. They were a mess and would need a thorough scrub in the shower, but for the next few minutes all Shiro cared about was the lingering waves of bliss and holding his beloved in his embrace.

“I love you,” he breathed without even having to think. It just came out so easily, as natural as breathing, and Shiro treasured those words and the feelings that accompanied him. Keith was his everything now. Life was exciting every day with him and their future bright. Shiro couldn't have been any happier. 

He sighed, a soft smile on his lips as he realized his own soppy thoughts, and reached up to comb his natural fingers through Keith’s tousled hair. A kiss to his temple and he breathed in his scent.

What a way to start the day.

Now loose-limbed and fucked pleasantly, all Keith could manage was to rest against Shiro and smile. He felt like a terrible, sweaty mess, but knew Shiro wouldn't care anyway. 

He relaxed in Shiro's loving grip for as long as his body allowed, ignoring the stickiness of their lovemaking between them and the way the room stank of sex. It was comforting for the moment. 

"Thank you." Keith mumbled after enough time had passed. That Shiro had been okay with fulfilling his wish - no, actually enthusiastic about it - was something Keith wouldn't soon forget. And while all his many, many fantasies were nice and all nothing compared to the actual reality. Keith only wished he had been more prepared to rock Shiro's world - but maybe another time. 

Keith took stock of his sore body as he shifted in Shiro's lap, seeing all his favorite Shiro-shaped bruises present. "Mm, I'm going to feel this tomorrow." But for Keith this was a happy thing - a mark of possessiveness.

With a soft chuckle and another kiss into Keith’s hair this time, Shiro began to move them both slowly. “I’ll do my best to look after you in that case,” he promised. He could have apologised for leaving so many bite marks and hickies on Keith’s skin, but he didn’t. He knew how much Keith liked them, and Shiro couldn’t really be held responsible for his actions when he was caught in the heat of the moment like that.

It took a little careful shuffling but he managed to get them to the edge of the bed and then, keeping Keith held securely in his arms against his chest, he stood and lifted his boyfriend in one smooth motion. A short trip to their bathroom and Shiro nudged the shower controls with an elbow to turn it on. He backed into the cascade of water once it was warm enough and smiled at his boyfriend who was still wrapped around him like a koala.

“Two choices, baby. Either you stand and let me wash your hair, or I keep a hold of you and you do us both.” He absolutely adored Keith’s relaxed clinginess after such mind blowing sex, so Shiro settled easily into the role of caretaker until his boyfriend’s brain decided it was time to wake up. A blissed out Keith was a wonder to behold, but they did need to think about getting ready fairly soon.

Keith's answer was to plop to his feet in the warmth of the hot shower. He liked clinging to Shiro, but they were bound to get hurt in the slick water and Keith didn't want to have to explain that to their coworkers. 

Once he stood he leaned into Shiro, content to let Shiro wash him and massage his scalp with shampoo. Had they all morning to waste, Keith would have demanded way more cuddling time -- even now he grumbled at the thought of being separated for work. 

But the shower was nice and work was enjoyable as always, even if Keith had a noticeable limp outside of scenes that Lance immediately caught onto. Keith would just meet Shiro's eye and wink whenever the teasing started - which was PDA enough to promptly stop said teasing.

***

Season 2 went well enough. There was a lot more green screen, which Keith didn't like, but it also meant that he and Shiro didn't have to worry about traveling as much. It also meant that people kept their things on set, which was how the engagement ring was found one Thursday morning.

Everyone on set was talking about it, and word soon spread throughout the rest of the production crew when the ring was sent to the lost and found locker at the studio’s main office. People were already starting to make guesses as to who the mystery ring belonged to, since the owner seemed to be keeping quiet about the whole thing. 

Lance was the one who first mentioned Shiro and Keith’s names to the rest of the cast as they finished up their morning tea break. 

“Honestly, I can’t believe one of them hasn’t popped the question already,” he said as they gathered around the bin to dispose of their takeaway cups. “They already act like a married couple.”

Pidge was still clutching her coffee cup as if the lingering dregs would give her the energy she’d need for the more physically demanding scenes planned for them in the afternoon. “Maybe it’s too soon for them,” she shrugged. 

“Maybe they don’t want to get married at all. It’s not as popular as it used to be.”

Allura’s eyes were bright with excitement. “Wouldn’t it be exciting though if the ring was from one of them?” she gushed. “Voltron’s power couple getting engaged! It would be incredible.”

Pidge rolled her eyes. “I don’t see the big hype, personally. I mean I’d be happy for them, obviously, but it’s just a bit of paper at the end of the day. There’s no real noticeable difference.”

“Except a ring,” Allura grinned as Keith and Shiro walked back into the studio from the canteen. “An engagement on set would be so romantic. We could even film it!”

Shiro blinked as he heard the conversation and tried not to freeze up. In truth the ring had been on his mind a lot since it’s discovery, and his eyes had continued to stray towards Keith whenever his boyfriend wasn’t looking. 

Was it too soon for them to think about marriage? Did Keith even want that? Shiro had no clue either way, but the announcement of a ring being found had still caused a flutter of excitement deep inside of him.

A life with Keith by his side and promises that would forever bind them together. How perfect that would be.

Keith wasn't one for getting overexcited about marriage. It seemed like a lot of fluff for something that usually ended up pretty mediocre or even ended in divorce -- but with Shiro, it was different. 

To be fair, most things were. 

But Keith could see himself sinking down on a knee for him, asking that big question, and then letting him show off the band to anyone who cared to listen. In the eyes of the law, they would be forever together. 

And, you know, tax breaks. Hospital visits. All that good stuff.  
He had managed a small glimpse of the band and knew immediately from the size it had to be for a man. It was only until he heard Allura that Keith realized this ring could be for him. It shocked him to his core and Keith whipped his head to look at Shiro. 

Was Shiro going to propose first? 

"Its too bad you're not marrying someone from the set, Pidge. Then you would really get dragged through by production." Keith said as they approached closer. 

The woman shot him an exasperated glare before waving him away. "Yeah, I don't want any of that. Who do you guys think it belongs to?" 

Keith faltered for maybe a moment too long, trying to think of any answer other than 'I hope it's Shiro's.'

When neither Keith nor Shiro could come up with a coherent answer other than a pathetic shrug of their shoulders the others were quick to fill in the silence with more theories and guesses as to who the ring belonged to, and who its intended recipient might be.

The conversation was cut short when the Director called them back over to the set to do some more shots for the scene they were working on. It was a very busy scene with the main cast taking on enemy drones, so there were a lot of additional bodies on set as stunt workers and extras filled in the positions of all the drones, wearing funny grey skin tight suits that would later be digitally replaced with the bodies of the drones in post production.

Everyone was fighting with their weapons and David stood at the edge to watch over the progress and give suggestions between takes. Runners came in to offer water bottles and adjust makeup under the hot lighting.

The location they were fighting on was the bridge of an enemy ship with multiple levels to create a diverse shot and make the scene as a whole more interesting. Shiro was on one of the higher levels facing off against his opponent when the swing of Keith’s red and white sword from across the set caught his eye.

Shiro was a professional. He knew the importance of maintaining focus during fast paced movement, be it stunts or martial arts forms. He did. But in that moment, as Keith’s elegant moves and proficiency with a sword caught his eye, all of his training and common sense went straight out the window.

He allowed himself to get distracted. Just for a split second. The earlier talk of engagement rings and marriage flashed through his mind, and he realised it was something he really wanted. But that beautiful thought, fleeting as it was, was all it took to cause him to slip up.

The actor he was facing off against swung a punch in his direction, as was choreographed and had been practiced countless times, but Shiro’s stupid loved-up brain completely forgot how he was supposed to respond. He dodged the wrong way, caught his foot on a corner of the set, and tumbled backwards off the edge of the platform. The stunt man he was fighting immediately tried to grab him - he was supposed to go flying off the edge and was wearing a wire in preparation for that, but now the wire that was supposed to be a safety feature restricted him enough that he couldn’t help the falling actor.

The drop wasn’t massive. Only four feet. If he’d gone over forwards Shiro would have been able to recover and land safely. But he didn’t. He went down backwards, and landed with a heavy thud on his back. The jetpack part of his paladin costume forced the air from his lungs as he landed hard on it, and he smacked his head against the floor, the helmet providing little protection.

Not everyone noticed the accident, but the Director let out a shout and that was what stopped everyone. Some of the other actors were left confused for a moment until David ran across the set towards Shiro. The black paladin sat up, coughed a few times as his lungs spasmed, and then slumped back down across the floor as the shock of the impact rid him of his consciousness.

"Shiro!" Keith's desperate call echoed across the floor. He crossed the stage in seconds, the first to reach his unconscious body which he was quick to cradle in his arms. The fall didn't look bad - it was probably more the shock that knocked Shiro out. 

Even still, it scared Keith to see his boyfriend collapse like that. Shiro was no fragile creature and knew when to look for trouble, but even he had been blindsided by a silly mistake. It hit home that - at any time - one of them could not make it home. 

One of the medics pressed a warm, wet cloth to Shiro's forehead as they waited for him to come to. Thankfully no one had asked Keith to give up his hold on Shiro just yet. But everyone was still worried, with the director even calling to the local hospital for backup. 

"It's okay, Shiro. I've got you." Keith promised softly in his ear. "For as long as you need. Forever, if you want."

Shiro’s eyebrows drew together as he came to with a groan, and then those gorgeous grey eyes opened. They were a little dull, dazed as his brain slowly tried to reboot itself after the blow, but he soon recognised his boyfriend’s worried face above him and the red of his costume. 

“Keith?” His voice was quiet and a little rough, then he winced and reached for the back of his head, realising his helmet was already off. “Oww.”

His prosthetic hand gripped Keith’s arm as the other tried to investigate whatever the wet and warm thing was that was across his forehead. The medic gently pulled his hand away and advised him to lie still for a minute, but Shiro wasn’t really listening.

“What happened?” His eyes glanced around again, clarity returning, and he frowned when he saw the circle of faces around him, all watching.

That was...new.

"Hey," Keith looked relieved to see him awake, but didn't bend down to kiss him just yet. "You tripped on the stage and hit your head, then passed out but only for a few seconds. Don't move just yet okay? We've got help coming." The way he held Shiro was so tender, so loving, it was almost hard to watch. 

It was even harder to take seriously with the both of them in their Paladins armor. "You scared me there, Shiro. You dont just fall like that."

Shiro pouted ever so slightly and rubbed at his face. “I didn’t mean to,” he said. He went to sit up, then thought better of it when the room spun a little. He cursed under his breath as his head hurt again. He felt a bit...vague.

“I turned the wrong way,” he admitted, voice still quiet. “My fault. Stupid mistake.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, man,” Hunk spoke up, standing on the edge of the circle around Shiro and looking down with mild concern. “Accidents happen.”

Shiro grumbled and shook his head, which only brought on another wave of pain in the headache that was now making itself known in his skull. “Stupid accident. Wasn’t concentrating.” His attention turned back to Keith and he tried to lean into his boyfriend more despite the armor. “Sorry I scared you.”

"I'm just glad it's not worse." Keith assured him with a little smile. He rubbed soothingly over the back of Shiro's skull while they waited for the ambulance. 

When it arrived, and they confirmed that they needed to take Shiro in for a full exam, Keith was the first to go forward. "I'm sorry, but only family will be allowed in the room with him." The nurse informed him. When Keith bristled with that knowledge, they added unhelpfully, "You'll have to wait in the waiting room for him to be discharged." 

"Fine, okay," Keith glanced to Shiro and squeezed his hand. "Just let me stay with him as long as I can. Please." 

They agreed to let Keith ride in the ambulance with Shiro and hold his hand, but once they got to the hospital Keith had to wait at the door. He looked heartbroken to not be allowed to go with Shiro, and even a little scared. 

But everything would be okay... Right?

Inside Shiro remained calm, having become accustomed to hospitals a long time ago, but that didn’t mean he was a model patient. He scowled through the initial exam performed by a doctor and kept glancing at the clock on the wall that was ticking away incessantly. Every minute away from Keith made him more irritable, and he finally voiced his displeasure to the doctor.

“Why can’t Keith come through? He must be worried sick.”

The doctor was having a close look at his eyes as part of the examination, so he sounded distracted when he spoke. “Hospital policy states that only immediate family can be present during an examination like this. Your friend will just have to be patient, I’m afraid.”

“Boyfriend,” Shiro corrected, a little on the abrupt side. He knew it wasn’t the doctor’s fault, but he was tired, sore and cranky because Keith hadn’t been allowed to come with him beyond the ambulance. “All of my family are dead. Keith’s all I’ve got so he’s my family now.”

Shiro almost surprised himself with that last statement. He loved Keith and the younger man meant the world to him, but Shiro didn’t know when he’d started considering him family. There was a permanence to the word that had been a little intimidating before - now it just felt natural.

He loved Keith. Wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. It was those thoughts and that mystery engagement ring found at the studio which had led to this whole sorry affair, all because Shiro was an idiot in love who’d got distracted at the worst possible moment.

He sat quietly and mulled over those thoughts until the doctor finished, by which point he had a real doozy of a headache and just wanted to go home. With Keith.

The doctor stepped out and found Keith waiting anxiously in the hall. As soon as the actor confirmed who he was he had Shiro’s condition explained to him. Shiro had a concussion which had been determined as a grade three due to his loss of consciousness after his fall, but he did not require further medical attention or hospitalization at this time. The best thing for him was to rest, take painkillers every six hours and give himself time to recover.

He was free to go home, but advised against returning to work for the rest of the week. If there were any problems then he was to come straight back to the hospital, but the doctor didn’t anticipate that being necessary. Keith was then allowed through, finally, to see his dazed boyfriend who was feeling more than a little sorry for himself.

When Keith was finally allowed through, he looked worse than Shiro with eyes red from crying and hands that trembled even as they squeezed Shiro in confirmation. "Hey." Even Keith's voice was trembling, though the tears were now long gone. 

"The doctor says it's nothing bedrest and some sleep won't help." Keith said, relief evident as he leaned his forehead on Shiro's shoulder. "Thank God." He squeezed Shiro's hands again before heaving himself to his feet and helping Shiro do the same. "Let's get you home." 

It was only once they got in the car and the bleach smell of the hospital was far away that the smell of cigarettes became obvious. Keith had long since cut his bad habit, but maybe had asked for one while waiting in the lobby. 

It was a stressful situation, yes, but surely not so bad as to make Keith go into an anxiety attack? 

But hopefully even Shiro's foggy brain would remember that Keith had an extreme aversion to hospitals, built from an experience years past where his father had died and he hadn't been brave enough to be in the room with him when he passed. 

And now, Keith tried to be there only to be denied.  
Halfway through the car ride home, at a red light that felt eternal, Keith started to cry. He did what he always did when he cried - tried to choke it down or turn away. This didn't work this time, with tears streaming down his face and chest concaving with heaving breaths. He apologized breathlessly again and again, but couldn't stop sobbing.

Shiro felt terrible, and it wasn't just from the concussion. Seeing Keith dissolve into such a state, but unable to do anything to help him, felt like the worst torture he could be put through. He wasn’t allowed to drive so he couldn’t take over for the rest of the journey, nor could he bundle Keith into his arms and sooth him with loving whispers and a warm embrace.

Instead he was forced to wait until they got home, with only a hand resting on Keith’s thigh to keep him grounded, until they were parked up and safe. Shiro hauled himself out of the car and moved round to the driver’s side, not wobbly on his feet but feeling a little tentative, and pulled open the door. Once he got Keith extracted from the car he put an arm round his boyfriend’s shoulders and together they trudged into their flat.

Kosmo met them as usual, and his training kicked in the minute he sensed Keith’s distress. Shiro was grateful. Kosmo had a way of calming Keith down just with his presence, his big eyes staring up at his owner with nothing but love and devotion - there was just something about a dog that was so comforting. They really made you feel like you were the most important person in the world.

It was a combined effort between Shiro and Kosmo to get Keith through to the bedroom, and Shiro had to admit he was feeling pretty lousy by the time they finally succeeded. He really needed to lie down and look after himself - a concussion was not to be taken lightly - but Shiro just couldn’t do that until he was sure Keith would be okay. His head was just a bad bump that would heal in no time. Keith’s pain was rooted in years of guilt, anxiety and mourning that would likely take years to ease.

Getting Keith sat down on the end of the bed was the first small victory and Shiro knelt before him. “Hey,” he whispered, cupping tear stained cheeks and wiping tears away with his thumbs. “Keith, it’s okay now. I’m right here.” By God, his head was killing him, but Shiro soldiered through the pain and slight dizziness. He had to make things right. “Right here, baby.”

Keith let Shiro take him upstairs and to the bedroom because he felt so helpless. He didn't even have the energy to fight back, to insist that it was him that needed the attention, until Keith was sat down on the bed. 

Struck by the sight of Shiro knelt before him, once more Keith realized exactly what he needed from all this. 

So he sucked in his breath, wiped his tears, and let the worry coloring Shiro's expression guide him. "The best thing you can do for me is let me take care of you. I mean it. I'm upset, yeah, but - this will be good for me. Baby, You're hurt." 

He could already tell Shiro was about to argue, but Keith just shook his head and tugged Shiro gently into the bed with him. "We're home. I realize that now. You're okay, I'm okay, and we'll make it to tomorrow. So lay down, Shiro. Please. Let me take care of you."

Unable to resist Keith’s request or fight the gravitational pull of his bed, Shiro did as he was told and eased himself down into his pillow. He would have liked to lie on his back but the pain in his head from the bump was still too tender, so he came to rest on his side.

That of course had the perk of being able to curl up close to Keith, but by this point Shiro was feeling so tired and lousy that he didn’t have the energy for anything more than that. He needed sleep, his brain needed time to heal, and he needed to know Keith was okay. Those were his top priorities.

“‘m sorry,” he murmured, almost a slur as he sank bonelessly into the mattress. “Didn’t mean to cause all this…. Feel awful.” 

"It wasn't even your fault so don't apologize." Keith insisted. "You didn't ask to get hurt. Get some sleep, Shiro. I'll be right here. Always." That last little part seemed to be nervously added on, but Keith guessed Shiro was too sick to notice. 

So he waited until Shiro fell asleep before grabbing up his phone and looking at engagement rings, always quick to put it away when he felt Shiro stir in his sleep.

The first 24 hours that followed Shiro’s accident saw him spending most of the time sleeping or relaxing, under strict orders from the hospital and Keith to take it easy. He felt a bit better after the second day and accompanied his boyfriend on a short walk out with Kosmo to enjoy the fresh air. 

Headaches continued to plague him but they were getting gradually easier as his brain found its natural rhythm again, and a consultation with Google confirmed that this was a common occurrence for people recovering from concussion - except for when Google was trying to tell him that he was going to die of a brain aneurysm.

The saying ‘never google it’ made a lot more sense to Shiro then and he always clicked out of a site before Keith could see any extreme diagnoses. The last thing Shiro wanted was to trigger his boyfriend’s anxiety again. Stupid Google. 

On the third day Keith had to return to the studio and continue with filming. The director could manage without Shiro until he was fit enough to return, but going without two actors was too much of a strain on the production schedule without postponing the whole thing. Shiro stayed at home that day and had some quality time with Kosmo as they lazed together on the sofa with a film on in the background, though Shiro spent most of the time on his tablet flicking   
through various jewellery websites.

Unbeknownst to him he had the exact same idea as his boyfriend, and was looking at various different engagement rings he thought Keith might like. There were so many to choose from, and the final decision had to be perfect.

Finally on the fourth day he felt well enough to return to the studio. He still wasn’t cleared for work but didn’t fancy the idea of another day stuck at home, so it was after much pleading and assurances he was fit enough that he accompanied Keith back to the studio. He had a warm welcome back when they arrived from the crew and cast, and his friends gathered round to greet him.

“Good to see you back, Shiro,” Coran said with a hand on Shiro’s shoulder. “You gave us all quite a scare.”

Their concern was touching and Shiro couldn’t help but smile at the warm feeling he got in his chest at the attention. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. Stupid mistake on my part.”

“Hey, accidents happen, man,” Hunk told him. “We’re just glad you’re okay. Keith said you were doing better but it’s good to see with our own eyes.”

“Not that we don’t trust old Keith,” Lance said, and slung a jovial arm around Keith’s shoulders. “But he’s been off his game a bit since you’ve been at home, so maybe we’ll get some decent acting out of him again now that you’re back.”

It was said all in good faith, there was no real teasing at all, but it was nice for Shiro to know that the others had been doing their best to look after his boyfriend when he’d been stuck at the studio worrying about him home alone all day. 

Shiro chuckled softly. “Well I’m just watching from the sidelines today and cheering you on.” His eyes slid back to Keith and fixed him with a tender gaze. Shiro knew how tough his injury had been on Keith, so he hoped his presence just off the set with the production crew would help his boyfriend relax and enjoy his work again.

Keith hadn't liked the idea of Shiro coming to the studio with him until he triple promised that he wouldn't push himself. But he was relaxed now, even returning Lance's friendly jab, before meeting Shiro's gaze and smiling back. But unfortunately the tender moment was broken by Pidge. 

"While you were gone, Shiro, the cameraman who lost his ring claimed it. You should have seen how relieved he was when he went to the office!" Pidge grinned, thinking it was damn funny. "Said even the simple gold cost him a good chunk of his savings." 

"Yeah, it was hard to believe the number he threw out." Keith mentioned with a tight little frown. "I didn't realize how expensive they can get." 

"Unless you're like me and you just go with your girlfriend to the pawnshop. Ours only cost $200 total." Pidge bragged.

"It's going to be on your finger for the whole rest of your life - makes sense to spend some money on it." Hunk argued when Keith just shot her a dry, unamused look. 

"I liked the design he picked out though. It was clean. Simple." Keith murmured, the last word on the matter before they were called to act. Keith bid adieu to Shiro with a kiss and joined the others, noticeably relaxed as he worked through his scene like a pro.

Simple, huh?

Shiro was given a chair by the Director’s tent where he could sit and watch the action as it played out on stage, and for the most part he did enjoy it. Being up on set working and interacting with his friends would have been more fun, but being restricted to the sidelines was still preferable to being stuck at home with nothing to do.

For the first hour he stayed in his chair like a good boy, knowing that Keith wanted him to take it easy. When he got a bit bored he flicked through his phone between takes - he had to put it on flight mode when the cameras started rolling - but after one of the cameramen nearly saw his screen he quickly pocketed his phone and left it there.

He’d been looking up rings again, now beyond determined to find one that Keith would like. His accident and subsequent trip to the hospital, seeing how frightened and broken Keith had been on the journey home… It had all come to a head now and Shiro knew what he wanted. He wanted forever with Keith, no matter how long or short that may be.

Considering it had been that blasted engagement ring that had made him lose focus and have his accident in the first place, it seemed only fitting that Shiro follow through and make the whole fiasco mean something. He would find a ring, pick his timing and propose to Keith.

The idea was both thrilling and terrifying all at once.

The Director called for a quick break and Shiro quickly got to his feet. He grabbed Keith’s water bottle from his bag and hurried over. Any excuse to get up on set and see his boyfriend. “You did great, love,” he smiled. “Wish I was up here with you.”

Keith greeted Shiro with a sweaty, but satisfied, smile. The scene where he was filming with Allura involved a lot of jumping and running so he looked understandably a little winded. "Thanks." He took the bottle of water happily and chugged about half of it in a blink. 

"You'll be back soon enough. And then it'll just be our scenes together, for the whole rest of the day." A day of fun, for sure - as much as the two men loved each other, they loved acting together even more. "But I think you'll appreciate this next scene. David and I have been working on this the last 3 days." 

With a kiss on the cheek and the promise of something good to watch, Keith left Shiro for the wardrobe tent. A few green suit extras waited around with Kolivan, a tall, grisled older man, which was signal enough that this would be a Blades scene. 

So why did Keith think Shiro would like this in particular...?

Probably because Keith came out wearing the most ridiculously tight, sculpted body suit ever. It made being naked seem more modest, with the lines that drew your eye to his ass, the V of his hips, his chest, and even had the gall to match the dark blue of his eyes.  
Keith met Shiro's gaze across the room, where he stood like a goddamn vision, and gave him a flirty smile. The man knew what he was doing - needed that taste of normality after the hospital scare. 

And damn, did Keith look good. 

The scene with the blades had to be moved to their open-space shooting as Keith's scenes involved a lot of running, jumping, and knife play. For the sake of the show, he was meant to look beat up - but the actors were all trained professionals and the most damage done was to Keith's ego when he missed a mark and they had to retake the shot. 

Admittedly, he was a little distracted knowing that Shiro was watching. But he still did his job until the scenes were good and he earned a long break. 

Once they called for the next scene, Keith approached his boyfriend with his Blade still in hand and shot him another flirty smile. "So, what'd you think?"

Shiro smirked and let his eyes flick over Keith’s body for a second. “I think it’s a shame you’re not allowed to take that outfit home,” he answered, and there was no shame in those words or denying their truth. Keith looked damn good and they both knew it.

Drop dead gorgeous even.

It hadn’t been hard to notice more than a few crew members subtly checking his boyfriend out whenever he’d walked past or been up on stage looking dazzling. Fortunately Shiro wasn’t a jealous or possessive man, so he’d just had a private little grin at the knowledge that Keith had chosen him above all else and said nothing about it. 

Damn, he was a lucky man. It was a real shame he had to take it easy for the next little while to ensure he made a full recovery from his concussion, and avoid anything strenuous activities. 

With Keith, sex was a strenuous activity in all the good ways. 

"They need you for the rest of this episode. It won't be the last time you see me in this, Shirogane." Keith promised, also wishing his boyfriend wasn't on doctor's orders to avoid strenuous activity. But, there would be opportunities in the future. 

Keith bent and took his water bottle before sitting beside Shiro, long legs stretched out as they watched the next scene set up. "That reminds me," Keith cleared his throat, "you have a doctor's appointment tonight right? When should I expect you home? I can have dinner ready." 

To be fair he would have dinner ready, but if everything went according to plan he would also have a ring in hand. The doctor's appointment was a perfect excuse for Keith to leave the house while Shiro was busy, and to make good on all the engagement rings he had been looking at these last few days.

“Yeah, quarterly check up on my arm,” Shiro confirmed. “I should be back no later than seven, so long as the appointments are running on time.” The man who looked after Shiro’s arm traveled around a lot visiting different areas and hospitals to cover as many patients as possible, so his appointments often ran later than standard to meet the demand.

Shiro’s usual slot was about an hour to check over the inner workings of his arm and inspect his stump for any changes or irritation, though today he hoped it wouldn’t take as long. If he could finish a bit earlier he might just have time to nip into a nearby jewellery store and have a look at a couple of rings.

He’d been checking out the store’s website between takes on his phone and one ring in particular had caught his eye. It was in stock in multiple sizes and Shiro felt it would suit his boyfriend really well. Tonight would be the perfect opportunity to go out and buy it, with Keith already knowing he would be out.

He smiled and kissed his boyfriend softly on the temple. Such an easy habit he had slipped into. “Don’t fuss with anything complicated if you’re tired. We can just have a relaxing night when I get back.”

"Okay." Keith smiled and reached over, squeezing Shiro's hand tenderly. He ran his thumb over his knuckles, then up between his fingers, perhaps desperate for that little bit of extra contact. "Seven it is." 

Keith was called back to set after that and once more drew everyone's attention as he moved in his Blades skinsuit. But his mind was on other things - thankfully that didn't affect his work just how much he noticed he was getting checked out. Not that it would matter. He only had eyes for Shiro.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the end! Hope you enjoyed!

When they were done for the day, Shiro had to leave immediately from work to his doctor, so Keith waited for the sound of his car to fade out before hopping on his (newly purchased) bike to zip to the store. It felt sneaky, and he didn't like hiding anything from Shiro, but this would be a good surprise. So he leaned against the ring display and swallowed that down as he picked out Shiro's ring.

It was tungsten, inky black, with specs of purple on the inside band Keith had not been able to see in the online photos. It was stunning and strong, a fit to Shiro perfectly. Keith bought it with no difficulty and was home before he even realized it, taking no nonsense from the seller so as to make an adequate dinner. 

But once he was settled over the stove, cooking some steaks, Keith realized he was nervous. Bad. Like stomach-cramp bad. Would Shiro even want this ? Keith shook the thought from his head immediately and flipped the meat in the pan, waiting for his soon to be husband to return home.

Shiro returned home at seven on the dot and was instantly welcomed by Kosmo and the wonderful aroma of his boyfriend’s cooking. He drew in a deep breath of appreciation as he downed his keys and hung his jacket on a hook near the door, then smoothed out a few creases in the sleeves.

He was procrastinating. Buying time to get his thoughts in order.

His mouth felt unbelievably dry from nerves and the psychological weight of the ring in his pocket left him feeling a little jittery. Keith would probably notice his slightly strange behaviour, though he would likely misinterpret it for any lingering feelings Shiro had following his appointment at the hospital.

He always felt a bit more exposed whenever his doctor poked and prodded at it - a constant reminder that he was missing a part. Incomplete.

Keith had made him feel complete again though, after so many years of struggling alone, feeling like nothing more than damaged goods no one would want. Keith wanted him. Keith loved him. So surely he would say yes whenever Shiro managed to pop the question.

The ring seemed to get even heavier in his pocket. Would it be tonight? Possibly. If the timing and mood was right.

“Hey, baby.” Thank god, his voice sounded a lot more confident than the rest of him. Shiro took a steadying breath and wandered into the kitchen, where he was instantly met with the sight of Keith slaving over a hot stove. It melted Shiro’s heart into a pile of soppy goo.

“Smells amazing,” he commented as he stepped up behind Keith, and greeted him with a soft kiss to the side of his neck - a now familiar greeting. “You didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”

"No trouble - just wanted meat tonight and this is what we had in the fridge." Keith leaned into Shiro's embrace as he spooned the butter back onto the pan, caramelizing the meat into something delicious. "How was your doctor's appointment?"

As Keith listened to Shiro describe what all the doctor said, he pondered when the right moment to say something would be. During dinner? Before? Or when they were in bed? It was hard to choose and the weight of the bulky box and Shiro's dangerously close hand were making him slightly panic. 

"Food's ready. Will you grab the plates?" Keith asked, hoping his voice didn't tremble. His brain decided on now being the perfect opportunity, because there was no way in hell he could waste another second not being engaged to the man he loved. 

Shiro fetched the plates from the cupboard and set them down where Keith could easily plate up, then turned his attention to the table. In an ideal world he would have planned this all out better, set it with some candles and maybe a flower or two to dress it up a bit for such a special occasion.

Could he really even consider proposing tonight when Keith was the one who’d gone to all the effort of cooking for them? Shouldn’t it be Shiro putting in all the work to make Keith feel special? Okay, so his cooking wasn’t exactly something to write home about, but Shiro had learned a few things from his very talented boyfriend since they’d been together - he would have been able to manage something.

Perhaps he should wait. Give the whole thing some thought, rather than rush into it. Keith deserved only the best. But the ring in his pocket was getting him all excited and he didn’t think he had the patience to wait any longer. Surely they’d already waited long enough as it is.

A quick glance over his shoulder revealed that Keith was still preoccupied with their food, so Shiro considered his options. If he dropped down on one knee now when Keith was serving them dinner there was a very good chance they’d both end up going hungry - Shiro had seen plenty of videos with people freaking out and throwing things when their other half asked them the big question. Half the kitchen would probably end up wearing their dinner if Keith got overly excited, or the food would just hit the floor if he froze in shock and dropped their plates.

Damn, he was overthinking this already! Come on, Shirogane, focus!

He shoved his right hand into his pocket and grasped the ring in its little velvet pouch, glad he’d decided against the fancy box since it would have been a lot harder to conceal. He had to do something and he had to do it now! Before Keith realised he was acting weird and grew suspicious!

He turned back to his boyfriend and swallowed. “Keith, I…”

Keith could almost hear Shiro thinking as he plated up the food. He wasn't sure what was on his boyfriend's mind, too preoccupied with his own fears to really put any thought into things. He set the plates of food on the table and turned to look at Shiro; the man he loved and adored, currently cutely stammering. 

But Keith was in turmoil himself and his inner workings - demanding at both moments to listen to Shiro and propose -- concluded on one course of action which ended in Keith staring at Shiro in dead silence as he set the velvet ring box on the kitchen table. 

Words died in his throat at the absolute horror of what he had just done. Kneel! Say something! KEITH DO SOMETHING! But he was mute and the ring box was there, settled nicely between the two plates of food.

Shiro was pretty sure he heard the thud of his gaze hitting the table and he stared, the information refusing to sink into his brain for a moment. It was as if the whole world had stopped, and Shiro barely dared to hope. 

Box. On the table. What looked suspiciously like a ring box. His own little surprise gift suddenly didn’t feel as good - he should have taken the goddamn box!

Was he dreaming?

Grey eyes full of shock flicked up to Keith’s face, then back to the box. Nope, he definitely wasn’t dreaming. Holy shit, that was a ring box! It just had to be - and that could mean only one thing.

Keith was proposing to him. Shiro’s beloved had been having the same thoughts as him all along and now he’d beaten him to it.

His brain spluttered and then reignited. “Keith…” His boyfriend’s name came out in a whisper of emotional disbelief and awe, and suddenly all Shiro wanted to do was laugh and cry at the same time. He fumbled in his pocket and yanked the little velvet pouch free, depositing it beside the box with the utmost care. 

Now it was Keith who wondered if he was dreaming. Because surely he was, with what Shiro just deposited on the table. In a miracle of turnarounds, enough synapses fired in Keith's brain for him to gasp. "Uh." 

And honestly, seeing that ring there - that proof that not only did Shiro feel the same, but that he wanted to propose first - was enough to bring tears to his eyes. Keith didn't cry much, or often, so they remained unshed, making his violet eyes misty and darkened. He heaved in a shaky breath before grabbing up his box and opening it for Shiro to peer inside. 

That beautiful tungsten black was perfectly contrasted against the white of the box's inside. The reveal took long enough that Keith managed to think of something cohesive to say. Still, he stammered as he asked, "Shiro, will you-"

“-marry me,” Shiro finished, and he did cry. A lone tear rolled down his cheek as he picked up the ring he had purchased and slipped it out of its velvet pouch. With no box to present it as beautifully as Keith had, all he could do was hold it delicately between his thumb and index finger where his boyfriend could see it. The silver tungsten with a red carbon fibre inlay and a small ruby set into the band as its centerpiece.

It had made Shiro think of Keith instantly. 

The tear seemed to pull Shiro out of his stupor and he found the strength to smile. A wet, breathless chuckle left him as he realised how lucky he was. The proposing was a bit of a mess and unorthodox but that suited them just fine. In fact it was perfect. 

“I’ll say yes if you do too.”

"I can agree to that." Keith agreed, not ashamed of the wet tremble to his voice. 

He laughed softly as they took each other's hands and slid the rings on. Somehow they had both managed to find perfect fits - not that Keith cared. Even if the ring didn't fit, he would have found some way to wear the precious gift. He looked down at the ring on Shiro's hand then to his own, feeling pride and love and so many other emotions he couldn't name them all. 

Shiro had said yes. 

So he did what felt right, and wrapped his fiancé in his arms before kissing him with enough passion to warm the sun twofold. "I love you." Keith sobbed against his lips before kissing him again and again, until they were pressed against the kitchen table with the threat of it tipping ignored.

“I love you too,” Shiro breathed out when he had the chance, the need to hold Keith close and feel him in his arms great. When they did part just enough to catch their breath Shiro let their foreheads touch.

“My life belongs to you now, Keith. I live for you.”

Honestly he couldn’t believe this was happening, and it was a moment Shiro would remember for the rest of his days. Their rings were beautiful, their love even more so, and the promises they were now making to each other were sacred. 

Shiro felt like he was the luckiest man alive.

"Mm," Keith smiled, "You're my everything, Shiro." 

This moment was perfect, everything Keith hoped and dreamed. But their food was getting cold and Keith was finally feeling a bit hungry. "I wanna celebrate with you ... But after we eat?"

Shiro nodded eagerly. “Anything you want, love. Always.” He didn’t care if he sounded corny, but he too could now feel hunger creeping up on him. There was no way he was going to let Keith’s efforts with cooking go to waste. They had plenty of time to kiss and cuddle again later.

Kiss and cuddle they did, shortly after eating Keith's delicious home cooking. Maybe it was even starting to become something a bit more - Keith did pull Shiro into his lap with a straight minded intention - but there was something to be addressed first. 

"Our rings are going to cause a hell of an uproar at work tomorrow." Keith chuckled as he bent and marked up Shiro's neck. "You ready to tell the world what we really are?"

“Of course,” he answered. “So long as the world doesn’t stick their noses in too much.” It was an optimistic, but somewhat unrealistic hope. They were in the public eye as successful and now pretty famous actors thanks to the popularity of Voltron, so their dedicated fans were going to go absolutely nuts when they announced their engagement.

Engagement… Shiro loved that word and everything about it because it promised a future that he would share with Keith - together for the rest of their days. What a beautiful thing.

"Mm." Keith made a dissatisfied noise at that, worried by Shiro's hesitance. Privacy was a hell of a thing to ask when in the public eye, especially as actors. They weren't super popular, like some big names, but big enough that an engagement announcement would be blown up. 

"I don't know how the public is going to react. Maybe not too badly, since we're both open, but there might be people who take it poorly and those who are too enthusiastic to know more." Keith sighed. "We can keep things quiet, if you want. It's whatever you feel comfortable with."

Shiro leaned back to look at Keith and shook his head. “No, I want to tell people,” he said, soft but insistent. “I want everyone to know that we’re engaged and happy.” His eyes wandered away slightly. “I’ve just heard some horror stories about fans ruining things and I don’t want anything like that to happen with us.”

"Shiro..." Keith said his name like a prayer, which it might as well have been. There was a fire in his eyes though, a fire that would never die so long as he breathed.

"Nothing is going to ruin us, okay? Not some fans, or even nosey media." Keith promised, squeezing his hands where they gripped Shiro's hips. "I -- I would rather quit acting than ruin this. I really would." 

And every word was true - Keith would never lie to Shiro. "The minute it gets too much, we're going to meet halfway."

That was exactly what Shiro needed to hear. He leaned his forehead against Keith’s and closed his eyes, relaxing and listening to their shared breaths.

“Thanks, love,” he said quietly. “You always know exactly what to say to put me at ease.” He opened his eyes again and gave Keith a gentle nuzzle. “I won’t worry about it again. No more work talk tonight.”

There was a flash of excitement in his eyes. “I was really enjoying what we were doing before this.”

At that, Keith couldn't help but laugh. "Okay okay no more work talk. But you're going to have to be more specific about this 'before'." There was a quirk to Keith's lips as he leaned closed and kissed along the long line of Shiro's neck. 

"When we were proposing to each other? Or...?" Keith sucked a hard hickey to Shiro's neck, just to hear him gasp, delighted by the way he sounded. Just for him. Always. 

But then he remembered about one little issue... "You're still on doctor's orders. I don't want to push things." Keith offered as a soft out.

Shiro pouted at the reminder, though Keith was right to mention it. It was just really annoying too. Stupid fall. Stupid concussion. The last thing he wanted was to develop another headache.

“We can still have a bit of fun,” he argued carefully, and his hands gripped at Keith’s shirt with a gentle hold. “Just not go crazy. As much as I want to celebrate our engagement with a hot and heavy night, ending up with a headache would really kill the mood.”

"That makes two of us." Keith agreed with a fond snort. "Alright baby, what are you thinkin?" Because like hell he wasn't going to turn down his fiancé -- especially not when they were celebrating their engagement night.

Colour crept into Shiro’s cheeks in the adorable way it always did when he turned a little shy, which was still so cute to watch given his large and muscular physique. The white hair floof hanging down between his eyes only added to it. 

“Well, if we go slow I think I’ll be okay. Gentle but we can still be together.” His eyes sought out Keith’s, bashful and beautiful. “Make love to me,” he murmured. 

Keith's blood was on fire. 

How Shiro still managed to stun him with four simple words would never fail to impress. Be it ' i love you, Keith' or this...'make love to me'. Keith would work to be the man who deserved those words, always. He licked his lips and nodded, wondering if Shiro knew what he meant to Keith. 

It had to be a position where Shiro didn't get jostled too badly - which, Keith's brain couldn't fuction right now much less think of something like that so he settled for kissing. 

He kept his kisses soft, loving, deep with the slightest press of tongue that he knew drove Shiro wild. It was like that, with their hips rolling together, that Keith decided what he wanted to do. 

"Think you can get your legs up on my shoulders?" He asked, hands smoothing down the long legs of Shiro's jeans. "Would that be too uncomfortable?"

Shiro’s response was a soft smirk and the quirk of a dark eyebrow. “You know how flexible I am,” he stated, already a little flushed and very pliable under Keith’s hands and lips. He felt warm, loved and comfortably aroused. Keith always took such good care of him and he was very good at finding a pace to match what Shiro needed at the time.

Hot and heavy nights when his lover dominated him and fucked him into the mattress were some of Shiro’s favourites, but taking it slow every now and then with gentle love making was just as exquisite and exactly what Shiro needed right now.

If Keith wanted him to bend in half for that then Shiro was more than happy to oblige. One of the advantages of being a martial artist and keeping up his training - he was very flexible when he needed to be.

"You didn't have a head injury then, Shiro." Keith quietly protested, red-cheeked under Shiro's amused smile. Oh, was he dealing with a confident Shiro tonight? Because Keith could work with that; and by that he meant reduce him to a solid mess. 

It always depended but sometimes Shiro reverted a bit to his shy self in bed. Not that Keith was complaining - He was happy to be reassuring and confident himself when Shiro just needed some spoiling. 

Confident Shiro was another matter, but just as fun to mess with. 

Keith went to work stripping the both of them down to bare skin, too impatient to bother with a slow tease. He heard the cloth hit the floor in heavy thumps, one after another, until there was nothing left between them but their passion.  
If Shiro thought Keith would start stretching him right away, he would be sorely mistaken because as soon as they were naked Keith fell into Shiro's lap and started to mark up the inside of his thighs with hickies. 

The redness of the mark never failed to get a pleased rise from Keith, but it only led him closer to his true prize - Shiro's waiting cock. Keith reached out and took it in hand, marveling over the size and warmth of it for only a second before pressing his mouth down to take him in. 

Keith was a fan of giving Shiro blowjobs - this was no secret by now - and in his multiple acts had learned all of Shiro's favorite tricks. So Keith knew exactly what he was doing when he deep throated Shiro on the third slide down.

The dark hickies sucked into his skin had left Shiro whining and shaking with anticipation as Keith marked him up however he saw fit. Shiro loved whenever Keith’s slightly possessive streak came out and thrilled at the knowledge that his was the body his lover so desperately desired. Shiro had always enjoyed keeping himself fit and looking after his health and body, but since he’d got together with Keith, he had even more incentive.

When Keith took him in so deep like that though - that was almost otherworldly. Shiro’s eyes fluttered shut with a shuddering breath and he pushed his head back into his pillow. Only his iron will stopped him from pushing his hips up into the glorious wet heat that was Keith’s mouth. A testament to Shiro’s self control.

Keith would probably rid him of that soon, as he always did. But they’d only just started and Shiro wasn’t about to let this moment end so soon. So he opened his eyes again and let out the quiet sounds he knew Keith adored, soft and unashamed.

When Shiro opened his eyes, Keith's gaze was there to meet him, confident as he sucked him down again and again. He even popped free to suck at the crown, reverent in his worship but not before smirking and saying, "Getting shy on me baby? You know I can take it." 

"Love taking you like this." Keith murmured as he nosed his way down Shiro's arousal like it was the sweetest thing. "You're so hard for me, Shiro. Gonna let me make you feel good?" He flicked his eyes back up before sliding down again. He went at Shiro with the intent of getting him to cum, knowing he'd be able to get him to cum again once they started to fuck.

Shiro moved his left hand to his face so he could bite at a knuckle, giving in to Keith’s request by starting to gently move his hips. God, it was sublime. His thighs trembled as Keith swallowed him, the erotic sight of his head bobbing between his legs sending Shiro spiralling down into a near drunken stupor.

With each delicious suck and lap of that amazingly talented tongue Shiro felt his control start to slip as the pleasure climbed higher. He bit at his knuckle harder, saw the ring on his finger and nearly came right there. The sounds that left him were weak and desperate. His body started to move more. Just a little bit more. A little faster and harder. That’s all he needed. His hips rocked with more strength.

Almost. Almost! 

Keith relaxed his jaw against Shiro's thrusting hips, trusting himself not to choke as he let go and fumbled for Shiro's hand. Once he reached up and their rings clicked together in an unmistakable noise, Keith startled into remembering they were now engaged, and came just like that. 

In all scenarios this should have been embarrassing. Keith certainly felt embarrassed and hoped Shiro hadn't noticed the splash of hot cum against his naked thigh - but the universe was hardly ever so kind. Still, Keith worked himself through it, squeezing Shiro's hand and sucking him down like he was his last meal. 

Almost. Almost!

Unable to hold off any longer, Shiro let out a heavy gasping groan and finally found his release. He’d tried to warn Keith, squeezing at his hand, but the pleasure was so intense and Shiro couldn’t have uttered a word if his life had depended on it.

He felt Keith swallow around him, unfazed by his release into his mouth - Shiro wasn’t as much of a fan of it personally but Keith didn’t seem to mind - and his body went from gloriously tense with arousal to slack with foggy sated relief. Dimly he realised that his lover - fiance - had also found his end. Shiro had no idea when that had happened, but it felt incredibly good to know Keith had got something out of it too. 

He let himself just drift for a moment as if he were lying in a cloud, the warmth from blissed out muscles starting to relax now that that first peak had been reached. There would undoubtedly be more before the night was through.

“Ke…” Shiro was still too hypersensitive to form words, but he tried anyway and reached for his beloved as he did.

As always, Keith was there when Shiro needed him. He swept the last remains of cum from his mouth before crawling up to meet Shiro for some post-coitus cuddling. "I'm here." Keith sighed as he settled against Shiro, one long stripe of heat against another. Were it not for Shiro's injury, Keith would have been all too happy to straddle Shiro like this and grind them both into a second round. 

But he was happy to wait and catch his breath, nosing at the sweaty skin of Shiro's neck. Keith met Shiro for a single welcomed kiss before the aftertaste became too much and Keith slipped away to rinse out his mouth. Much as he loved the taste of Shiro, if he was going to be allowed a chance to clean up, Keith would take it. 

It also gave him the chance to lean against the bathroom doorway, naked and glorious, and take in the sight of his fiancé sprawled against the sheets. Keith crossed his arms and soaked it in, smiling shyly when Shiro finally realized he was being watched. "Don't you make a handsome sight."

Shiro half moaned, half whined and made a pathetic attempt at throwing a pillow in Keith’s direction. It hit the floor with a flop just a few feet from the bed, way short on even touching Keith, and then Shiro slumped again. 

“Shut up.” There was a smile on his lips that told of just how happy he was, lazy and content with his body still pleasantly warm and lax after their fun. And his head wasn’t hurting, which was a huge plus.

Shiro felt nothing but love and adoration for the beautiful being currently standing in the doorway, watching him with such a relaxed air about him. There was just one problem, so the older man slowly sat up, adjusted his position so he was a little more modest even with his nakedness, and held out his arms. 

“C’mere,” he smiled. “What are you doing way over there?” Shiro was doing a bit of admiring himself. Keith always looked divine. He was beautiful, handsome, sexy and all those other wonderful things. Honestly Shiro was convinced he’d look good in a bin bag, and naked and bare he was irresistible. But now, seeing him with nothing on but the ring on his finger that Shiro had given him (along with his heart and all his tomorrows) Shiro felt that Keith looked at his absolute best. 

"A mistake on my part, truly." Keith pretended to lament as he returned to Shiro. He slid into his lap with no shame, unafraid to be naked even if his fiance was trying to be a bit more modest. They met for a kiss, sugar sweet and full of affection, before Keith decided he wanted something more. 

But first ... Hesitation colored Keith. "How is your head?" He asked. Because there was no way in hell they were continuing with anything if Shiro felt even the barest edges of a headache. 

He tried not to squirm in Shiro's lap as he waited for his answer, well aware where they pressed together.

With a soft intake of breath Shiro leaned in and brushed his lips against Keith’s cheek and up to his temple. “Your concern for me is so sweet, baby,” he murmured, while his arms slid so easily around Keith’s slender waist to hold him close. His skin was still tingling and Keith’s closeness easily excited him once again.

“My head’s okay just now,” he assured him. “Being careful definitely helps.” He gave Keith a soft peck on the lips and nuzzled at him. “If it gets sore at all, I’ll tell you. Promise.”

"Okay. You just have to tell me." Keith seemed to be reassuring himself more than Shiro as he trailed his hands down. "You know my version of slow and careful tends to ..." He blushed, bashful as he realized exactly who was playing with fire here. 

Well, Keith could only shoulder the blame so long as they ignored when Shiro begged. Resolute now that Shiro had assured him, Keith bent in and kissed him, waiting for his body to perk up once more with interest. 

It never took long, with being in Shiro's lap. 

"I can't believe we both were ready to propose at the same time." Keith finally realized, reminded only when his ring bumped against Shiro's cock in the sloppy hand job Keith was giving. "I got the ring today but I've been looking for awhile now."

"After that accident...and the ring on set....I already knew I wanted you in my life forever, Shiro, but I couldn't get the thought out of my head." Keith panted, harder now that Shiro was starting to respond to his touches. In turn, Keith's body tensed for a second round too. 

"I love you. This was a long time coming, baby." He promised.

“Worth the...wait,” Shiro panted, fresh moans starting to leave him quietly against Keith’s lips and skin. He was responding, just as Keith had hoped, at a speed that was almost embarrassing. His body simply couldn’t get enough of his gorgeous lover (now fiancé) and Shiro knew better than to fight against those desires.

“Y-You have no idea...how long I waited to find you.” The words came out soft but urgent, desperate to be spoken before Keith dragged him into the hazy buzz of sexual delirium, which Shiro was all too ready to fall into.

He kissed Keith and started to gently buck his hips up into his partner’s hand - the lust was taking over again and Shiro craved it like a starving man. His tongue slipped past Keith’s lips to draw a moan from him.

Keith was so lost to the burn that was Shiro. He tilted his head against Shiro's demand and felt the curl of heat kindling in his stomach burst into something brighter. With hands clumsy with arousal, Keith dropped his grip to grab the lube instead. 

He didn't have the patience to stretch and tease Shiro; Keith worked his fingers inside with no finesse but enough accuracy to make it worth it. "Fuck," Keith panted, "fuck, Shiro, fuck. I'll be gentle. I - yeah, I'll make you feel good." 

With a small glance for permission, Keith spread Shiro's legs and hoisted them up on his shoulders, leaving him spread open with nowhere to hide. His thrust inside was slow, obviously strained, as Keith fought to fuck his fiancé slow and sweet.

Shiro felt immediate relief once Keith was inside, though his desperation didn’t give him long to enjoy the sensation of being filled. His insides felt like they were quivering and Keith always knew just how to drive them crazy and then calm them down. 

He scraped his fingers through his own hair and bit his lower lip, the picture of utter bliss as Keith took him. Bent practically in half like there wasn’t much Shiro could do in turn, but he tried to rock his hips up against his fiancé’s.

“That’s it…” His voice came out weak and light through the throes of passion as Keith found that one spot that always drove him insane. “Right there…”

Keith kept his focus there, eager to please and be the source for each rumbling moan that tumbled from Shiro's lips. He looked like a vision of god against the bed sheets, chest heaving and cock heavy between his legs, bouncing with each slow thrust from Keith. But Keith tried to keep his eyes on Shiro's face to watch for any sign of pain, and to gloat in the fact that only he could make Shiro feel this good despite everything. 

Keith pushed forward just a touch, bending Shiro even further to grind deep and hit that one spot that always left Shiro breathless. His hands clutched to Shiro's calves, holding him in place, making sure he was comfortable through this. 

Though from the look of things, Shiro was enjoying everything just fine. Keith pressed a kiss to his ankle before fucking in a bit harder, really languishing in the wet slap of sex and Shiro's moans. "I'm ... I'm not going to last." Keith warned as he felt the pool of heat in his stomach start to burn.

“‘S’okay,” Shiro panted. Another desperate whine tore from his throat. He more than understood where Keith was coming from - his own end was fast approaching and he was ready to tumble into it. Keith taking such control was always a huge turn on for Shiro, and this position allowed his lover’s considerable length to reach all the way inside him without trouble, but it was also particularly taxing. 

Shiro’s amazing abdominals were starting to cramp up from being bent in half, and his full height was eager to spring back and stretch out once Keith took him over the edge.

And then there was his dick. Rigid and heavy and ready to explode, the need was so intense it was almost starting to ache. Shiro tried to warn Keith. Tried to tell him that he was needing his end now, but every magnificent thrust from his fiancé had Shiro’s eyes near rolling to the back of his head. The room stank of sex, the sounds they were making were obscene, and Shiro was at his limit.

Keith. Keith! Keith!

Keith felt his orgasm looming and quickly dropped a hand down to Shiro's dick, eager to have the both of them finish together. There was no longer any grace to his actions; Keith's hips lost their rhythm for hard fucking and his hand did little more than give Shiro some friction. 

But because it was Keith, it was good, and he opened his mouth in silent awe as he came. He hunched over Shiro one final time, the worst bend yet, before leaning back with a soft sigh and letting Shiro finally stretch out into something more comfortable. 

Biting his bottom lip, Keith redirected his aroused half-lidded gaze back down to Shiro and rolled his hips a dew more times to really milk himself dry. "C'mon, Shiro. Wanna see you come."

Shiro did with gusto. After all the build up he couldn’t hold out any longer, and those last more lazy movements from Keith saw him meet his end. His whole body quivered as he spilled his essence between them, finally sated and left to feel pleasantly wrung out.

Then all he could do was lie there, limp and spent with his chest heaving and eyes slipping shut as his brain temporarily shut down. Keith had near enough fucked him senseless with their love making, and Shiro never wanted to leave their bed again.

He looked a right state. Disheveled, flushed and messy, but it was impossible to miss the look of utter bliss and fulfilment that flickered across Shiro’s expression through the fading shivers of pleasure.

Looking down at Shiro was one hell of an ego boost. Keith couldn't help his prideful smirk as he smoothed his hand across Shiro's trembling thighs. "Still with me, sweetheart?" Because damn if Shiro looked like he was about to roll over and pass out. Which was fine -- but Keith knew he'd grumble if they didn't both get a shower before sleeping. 

With minor difficulty, Keith shifted back to let Shiro flop out fully on the sheets, then curled up against his side to enjoy the afterglow. He met Shiro with a kiss before burying his face into Shiro's neck, happiest pressed against him like a koala. 

Well, if Shiro didn't want to move a bit longer, Keith wouldn't complain. 

"Love you." Keith murmured, nipping at Shiro's skin before settling down again.

The haze of their love making was like a pleasant fog in Shiro’s brain, warm and relaxing after all the excitement from what they’d just shared. He was still way too dopey for any in-depth thought, but something about it all had just made it feel so much better than usual. 

Their best yet even. Which was really saying something considering how fucking amazing Keith was in bed. And he was all Shiro’s.

Grey eyes dragged themselves open when those precious words left Keith’s lips against the hot skin of his own neck, giving Shiro the strength to lift an arm and tangle his fingers through the already thoroughly bedraggled and mussed up hair that would probably take ages to get a brush through. Then Shiro’s lips found a slightly sweaty forehead, his answer obvious without him having to say it as he hummed like the stupidity in love man that he was. 

He had to wait for his head to clear a bit before he could think of anything intelligible to say in return. “You mean everything to me…” It came out as a whisper, soft and earnest as the feather light kissed he placed on Keith’s forehead and hair.

He felt like the luckiest man alive.

Keith voiced his own wonderment as time passed; when Shiro confirmed that he felt fine, they went at it again, softer and slower than ever before until they were both trembling messes. Keith went to bed curled against Shiro and smiling because of it. 

Their announcement at work went about as expected, with cheers and plenty of cries of, 'about time!'. Keith just grinned sheepishly through it, and found himself eager to tell the story over and over again, sliding the ring about his finger for the entire day. 

If they were moony eyed before, it was even worse now. 

There was no issue of it on set - though Keith knew full well that their quick signs of affection in costume were going to be extras on the BluRay - so Keith was surprised when one of the producers invited both of them into her office.

"First of all, I want to congratulate both of you on your engagement. We promise utmost privacy in this time of celebration, and continue to acknowledge how professional the two of you have been during your working relationship." She started. After a pause, she continued, though a bit more hesitant.

"The writers came to me this afternoon with a ... Request. And I want you two to let me know how you feel about it." She turned to Shiro. "We were always going to have you canonically gay within the show with those scenes played out with Adam. However, in light of recent events we thought it might be good PR to have Akira and Ryou end up together in the end. It won't be anything overt - something subtle." 

She paused again, focusing on Keith's furrowed brow. "This is something we would have to still get approved from the board so even if you agree it's not a guarantee. But let's be honest - they've been writing Akira and Ryou as endgame since Day 1."

The mention of Akira and Ryou getting together for the end of the show wasn’t a huge surprise really. Everyone had acknowledged that there was grounds for such a decision, with the way the characters had been written and their rapor on screen up until this point. Personally Shiro really liked the idea. There wasn’t enough decent LGBT+ representation in the media, so if a front running show such as Voltron decided to go down that road it meant the production team believed there was sufficient support from the fanbase for it.

However, as satisfied as Shiro was with them considering the idea, the timing wasn’t exactly perfect. It almost felt as if the company wanted to cash in on his and Keith’s real relationship off screen as well, no doubt to draw in more viewers and rake in a little extra money. Shiro didn’t like the idea of himself and Keith being used like that, another advertising method that the company wouldn’t have to pay for.

Then there was the not so small issue of the fans who did not support Akira and Ryou as a pairing in the show. It was impossible to please everyone and in the case of hating trolls it was best just to ignore them, but this decision had the potential to affect them in their real relationship if some disgruntled fans started turning nasty. Shiro didn’t want to be accused of manipulating the story just because he and Keith were together and now engaged.

There were pros and cons. It could go either way.

“Considering how close they are in the story I agree there are grounds for them ending up together,” he mused. “I like the idea.” He spun his ring nervously on his finger with his prosthetic hand. “So long as there’s a line between our characters and us as actors, that’s my only concern. I don’t want their relationship to seem forced just because we’re together.”

"I agree with Shiro." Keith said softly, subdued in light of this momentous announcement. It seemed his was playing with his cards close to his chest, so to speak. "We won't make anyone happy if the characters aren't organic about this."

The producer nodded in agreement. "I understand. Like I said, this might not even be approved - but if it is we will be working with you both every step of the way to make things right." 

"There's always been a connection between the two." Keith added. "So it wouldn't be out of left field. But there will be people who don't approve, for one reason or another. Some homophobic bullshit could put us in danger." 

"I've worked on previous projects that introduced LGBT characters later on. Trust me when I say I will handle this optimally, should it come to pass." The producer nodded. "Your safety and consent is forefront here." 

That seemed to satisfy Keith; he leaned back in his chair and glanced to Shiro. "We plan on keeping our engagement quiet for a while longer." 

It wasn't something Keith wanted, but the privacy would be nice while they enjoyed the afterglow. After, they would pronounce it to the world.

The meeting concluded after that and the couple left the office. They were due back on set, so it was a quick stop at makeup and then they were back in their costumes. Shiro had a lot of scenes to catch up with after being off sick from his concussion, so they kept him busy for the rest of the day, but he was optimistic about the show’s future and how the fans would receive it and their own real engagement.

The months flew by after that. Each day was a new adventure for the couple and their now firm friends, both fellow cast and crew. As the story progressed and more new characters were brought in the Voltron world expanded, and that meant a lot more trips out on location to do filming, more conventions and interviews, and even a few appearances on various TV talk shows. With Voltron’s success the actors were approached by other companies for various roles once their contracts with DW came to an end, and it was a bit like living the life of a film star. Voltron had taken the internet by storm and was now one of the most popular ongoing shows.

The fandom exploded. Getting their own action figures had been a great laugh on set, with a video of Pidge messing around with Keith and Shiro’s figures definitely set to make it onto the blooper reel - fortunately she kept it PG. The development of the two characters, and the now public relationship between the actors, had captured the hearts of millions. Fan mail poured in every day, vloggers took to youtube and other online platforms to discuss the couple, artists created beautiful fan art and writers poured their hearts and souls into fanfiction. There were others who weren’t so happy, but they were in the minority, drowned out by all the genuine love and support the fans sent their way.

Shiro felt truly blessed. This was more than he had ever imagined when he’d been offered the role and started the incredible journey. But at the end of the day what made him smile the most was that Voltron had brought him to his soulmate. Keith was his everything, his reason for waking in the morning and the person Shiro would give the moon and stars if it were possible. They already had so many wonderful memories together which Shiro would cherish forever, and while they would be sad when Voltron did come to its end, it was only really the beginning of their real story. Together, as a married couple.

It was the night of the finale. 

Keith felt a strange sense of deja vu as he finished buttoning up his vest in the privacy of the studio's back room. Tonight was the night that everything would change - and though it was the finale, it was also a beginning. A beginning for Shiro and Keith. 

His fingers trembled as he clasped the last button in place. 

Once he was done and presentable he joined the rest of the crew milling around the viewing room. The huge TV where they would watch the final episode of Voltron swallowed the room, but still did not disguise the obvious wedding cake in the corner nor the carefully placed photos of the grooms to be. Keith picked up one of the smaller frames and smiled at the sight of Shiro grinning on a mountaintop. 

He wished he could see Shiro even if it was bad luck.  
But their friends insisted and Shiro looked charmed by the idea, so Keith wasn't one to say no. He just hoped that Shiro appreciated the braid being woven with flowers, and the knowledge that it was getting cut immediately after. But it looked nice. Keith cut a nice figure, though the red blush to his cheeks was the cutest part. 

He took a flute of champagne and joined his wedding party, wishing for all the world that he could see Shiro right now.

Away from Keith and those who had already gathered in the studio, Shiro stared at his reflection in the full length mirror and tried to remember how to breathe. His left hand felt a bit clammy and shook as he attempted to straighten his tie, which fought him every step of the way.

His suit fit him well, but Shiro still wasn’t sure if he looked smart enough for his own wedding day. Should he have had his white bangs styled back away from his face after all? Keith had always claimed to love the unique bangs, so maybe letting them hang free like usual was the right decision. Maybe…

A feminine chuckle from behind him drew his attention away from the battle with his tie and he glanced past his reflection to see Allura approaching him. She looked stunning in an elegant lilac dress, and her hair was perfect. Maybe Shiro could ask her to help with his bangs?

“You look like you need some help,” the woman told him, slipping between him and the mirror so she could reach for his tie.

Shiro swallowed and nodded, then stood perfectly still. “Don’t even have the excuse of my hands shaking, since the prosthetic doesn’t.” It was a pathetic attempt at a joke on his part but Allura still smiled, and within moments she had his tie perfect and placed her hands on his shoulders.

“You look amazing,” she told her friend honestly. “Stop worrying and enjoy yourself. I’m sure you’ll forget all your nerves as soon as you see Keith.”

Shiro’s smile was warm and his eyes shone with love at the mention of his soon to be husband. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Allura nodded and stood up on her tiptoes, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. “You ready?”

Oh god, that question. Was he? Shiro took a deep breath and let it out slow, “Yes. I am.”

Allura grinned and stepped back. “Let’s go then.”

Keith knew Shiro entered the room by the way every conversation quieted at once. He resisted the urge to turn to the source, hard as that was, instead first reaching for another flute of champagne, this time for his husband to be. Still, Keith’s breath stilled when he finally glanced back and saw Shiro walking towards him with Allura on his arm. Stunning. Shiro stole the attention of the entire room and rightfully so. 

“This is it.” Keith murmured as Shiro settled by his side, quick to offer the alcoholic beverage. “Are you ready?” At this point it was hard to tell if Keith meant the airing of the show’s finale or their wedding, but either worked in this situation. He was nervous, but happy. Excited to start this new journey, even. 

Keith took Shiro’s ringed hand in his and brought the hand to his lips to kiss, reverent as Keith kissed the scarred flesh there.

Shiro squeezed gently at the fingers grasping his hand as he resisted the urge to pull Keith to him and kiss him right there in front of everyone. There would be a time for that very soon, but they had the final episode to watch first. He would be patient for just a little bit longer, and then he and Keith would make their vows and begin a new chapter in their lives together. 

The end of Voltron first though, so Shiro softly returned the gesture by pressing his own lips to Keith’s hand as everyone else went to take their seats.

“I’ve waited my whole life for you,” he murmured with a smile. “I’m definitely ready.”

The lights dimmed as Keith smiled at Shiro, but not fast enough to hide the quick kiss he pressed to Shiro's lips. This was it. Their forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/FormSheith)  
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated <3


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